"Maitre Cornelius" by Honoré de Balzac is a short story published in 1831. Set in 1479 Tours, it follows Georges d'Estouteville, who becomes apprentice to Cornelius Hoogworst, a wealthy but feared silversmith whose home has been mysteriously robbed multiple times. When another theft occurs during Georges's secret nighttime absence, he faces execution like previous apprentices. The King himself investigates the puzzling robberies, leading to a startling discovery about the true nature of the crimes plaguing the miserly merchant's household. (This is an automatically generated summary.)