Domestic Peace, a short story by Honoré de Balzac, was originally published in 1831 under the French title of La Paix du Ménage and can be found in Scenes from private life (Scenes de la vie privee) in La Comedie Humaine. It takes place in November of 1809 at the height of Napoleons empire, a time of great splendor and decadence. Everyone whos anyone in the Parisian aristocracy is gathered at a grand ball at the home of the Comte de Gondreville. Two guys Martial and Comte de Montcornet are looking to engage into a romantic happening with Madame de Vaudremont and they find they are not the only ones, being that she has a tremendous fortune. Another girl appear who shades Madame de Baudremont. To complicate matters, Colonel Soulanges, one of Napoleons favorite military men, also shows an interest in the mystery woman, and angrily declares hell kill Martial if he so much as goes near her.