Honoré de Balzac
The Elixir of Life
(L’Élixir de longue vie)
Translated by Clara Bell & James Waring

A short story of about 9,400 words.

This is Balzac’s version of the Don Juan myth.
Everyone else has the Don ending his days by being dragged away to Hell by a statue (e.g Mozart’s opera ‘Don Diovanni’).
Balzac adds an even more melodramatic twist.