He even changed his signature on the letterhead to "Honoresky".
Ha, I even know someone named Hestingov, must be some relative of Mr. Honoresky Balzac from Eastern Europe.
His actions certainly made many in the Paris literary circle look down on him, especially Hugo who couldn't stand Balzac's attempts to ingratiate himself with the Tsarist Russian nobility, especially after Balzac bragged that Mrs. Hanska's estate was bigger than the Louvre Museum. Hugo even privately hinted that this chubby man's head must have been caught in a door.
But even though Balzac climbed up to a noblewoman whose estate was bigger than the Louvre's, he didn't receive much financial support from her.
For one, Mrs. Hanska was, after all, a married woman.
And secondly, Balzac insisted on putting on a brave face, not wanting Mrs. Hanska to look down on him, so he never asked her for money.
He even felt troubled that he couldn't give an equivalent return gift when Mrs. Hanska presented gifts.
