M. Lantin is a seventeenth century character in Guy De Maupassant's story, The Jewelry, which Maupassant wrote in th late eighteen hundreds. Lantin is a chief accountant whom falls in love with a girl after hearing others speak of her perfection. He demands the hand of this daughter of a widow, and they are wed. He was happy with all she did for him as his wife. Yet he was not quite fond of two of her idiosyncrasies, her love of the theater and her gaudy false jewelry. Though she had satisfied his request to allow him to stay in from the nights at the theater she would still tease him with her jewelry.
             One night after she came home from one of her night's at the theater Lantin's wife became ill and died eight days later. Latin was then grief stricken. His hair became white, he would sob uncontrollably, and he fell into poverty. He was in need of money one day and sold his wife's fake jewelry.
             Upon consulting a jeweler he found that his wife's tawdry adornments where not made of false material at all but were actually real and worth a fortune. Lantin was no longer a grieving man. He quit his job the very day he came upon his wife's shrouded fortune, and that night he used his wealth to indulge himself in gluttonous celebration. Lantin soon found another woman and wed her. Yet he found himself to be discontent with her.
             M. Lantin's first marriage is based on the fact that he wishes to be the envy of his towns men. Lantin wants to have a wife who will be pleasing in the eyes of everyone he meets. He wants to make sure that no one will look at him and mention that his wife is not as good as theirs. That is why he falls in love with the widow's daughter. For she is said to be, "a perfect type of the virtuous woman whom every sensible young man dreams of one day winning for life" And it is said that all who saw her said, "Happy the man who wins her love! He...