The Purse

"The Purse" by Honoré de Balzac is a tale about love, hardship, and what happens when right and wrong get mixed up, set in a time of change in France. It tells the story of Hippolyte Schinner, a young painter close to becoming famous, who finds himself falling for Adelaide, a woman he meets after an accident. Even though Adelaide and her mother seem poor, they hold themselves with grace. Things get tricky when Hippolyte's money goes missing, leading him to question everything. It turns out Adelaide didn't steal the money; she secretly replaced it to help him, showing her deep care for him. The story ends with the revealing of deeper love and trust.