# Comte de Mortsauf — The Lily of the Valley character guide

> Comte de Mortsauf in The Lily of the Valley by Honoré de Balzac.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Monsieur de Mortsauf, de Mortsauf, Mortsauf, the Count de Mortsauf, the Count, Count, The Comte de Mortsauf

**First appearance:** 0001-the-lily-of-the-valley

## Snapshot

An émigré royalist broken by exile and bitterness, he tyrannizes his household with sudden rages, making his wife's virtue a daily act of endurance.

## Who they are

The Comte de Mortsauf clings to aristocratic pride while his mind and temper fray, turning the family estate into a theater of suspicion and outbursts. He suspects Félix yet cannot fully name his jealousy, and his instability poisons the peace Henriette works so hard to preserve. His presence makes every tender scene precarious, forcing love to grow in the shadow of fear.

## Relationships

### [Henriette de Mortsauf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/henriette_de_mortsauf)

_family_

Husband and wife in a deeply strained marriage marked by the Comte's violent temper and Henriette's patient suffering.

### [Félix de Vandenesse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/felix_de_vandenesse)

_rivalry_

The Comte is suspicious and jealous of Félix, viewing him as a threat to his marriage and household.

### [Jacques de Mortsauf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/jacques_de_mortsauf)

_family_

Father and son, with the Comte being harsh and critical toward the sickly Jacques.

### [Madeleine de Mortsauf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/madeleine_de_mortsauf)

_family_

Father and daughter, with the Comte's erratic behavior causing tension and fear in Madeleine.

### [Monsieur Origet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/monsieur_origet)

_professional_

Monsieur Origet is the family doctor, frequently called to manage the Comte's health and temper.

### [Manette](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/manette)

_professional_

Manette is a servant in the household, often bearing the brunt of the Comte's outbursts.

### [Lady Dudley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/lady_dudley)

_social_

The Comte is superficially polite to Lady Dudley, unaware of her romantic involvement with Félix.

### [Félix de Vandenesse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/felix_de_vandenesse)

_rivalry_

The Comte is suspicious and jealous of Félix, viewing him as a threat to his marriage and household.

### [Félix de Vandenesse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/felix_de_vandenesse)

_rivalry_

The Comte is suspicious and jealous of Félix, viewing him as a threat to his marriage and household.

### [Henriette de Mortsauf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/henriette_de_mortsauf)

_family_

Husband and wife in a deeply strained marriage marked by the Comte's violent temper and Henriette's patient suffering.

### [Henriette de Mortsauf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/henriette_de_mortsauf)

_family_

Husband and wife in a deeply strained marriage marked by the Comte's violent temper and Henriette's patient suffering.

### [Jacques de Mortsauf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/jacques_de_mortsauf)

_family_

Father and son, with the Comte being harsh and critical toward the sickly Jacques.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters/comte_de_mortsauf
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lily_of_the_valley_se/characters