Sarrasine is a novella written by Honoré de Balzac. It was published in 1830, and is part of his Human Comedy .
Around midnight during a ball the narrator is sitting at a window, out of sight, admiring the garden. He overhears the conversations of passers-by regarding the origins of the wealth of the mansion's owner, Monsieur de Lanty. There is also the presence of an unknown old man around the ho...