Episode Under the Terror is a short story by Honoré de Balzac, first published in 1831. It is set during the French Revolution and tells the story of a young woman, Mlle. de Verneuil, who is arrested and imprisoned during the Reign of Terror. The story begins with Mlle. de Verneuil being arrested and taken to prison. She is interrogated by a revolutionary tribunal and accused of being a royalist. Despite her protests of innocence, she is sentenced to death. Mlle. de Verneuil is taken to the guillotine, but at the last minute, her sentence is commuted to life imprisonment. She is sent to the prison of La Force, where she meets a fellow prisoner, M. de Valmont. M. de Valmont helps Mlle. de Verneuil to cope with her imprisonment and they eventually fall in love. However, their relationship is threatened when M. de Valmont is released from prison. Mlle. de Verneuil is eventually released from prison and reunited with M. de Valmont. The story ends with the two of them happily married and living in Paris.
By Honoré De Balzac · First published 1831 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama