"Nantas" by Émile Zola is a novella published in 1879. A destitute young man from Marseille arrives in Paris seeking fortune but finds only poverty and despair. On the brink of suicide, he receives an unexpected proposal: marry a pregnant aristocrat to save her reputation. He accepts, gaining wealth and status through his father-in-law's support. Yet despite his success, Nantas remains tormented by unrequited love for his wife, who seems indifferent to him while pursuing another man. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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