A Zola Dictionary Part 5

BAUDEQUIN, the proprietor of a cafe in the Boulevard des Batignolles, which was the resort on Sunday evenings during many years of Claude Lantier, Pierre Sandoz, Dubuche, Mahoudeau, and their friends, a band of youths devoted to art and determined to conquer Paris. Gradually, however, the little company became submerged by a flood of newcomers, and in time the meetings ceased. The cafe changed hands three times, and when, after some years, Claude and Sandoz chanced to return, they found everything completely altered. L'Oeuvre.

BAUDU (M.), proprietor of a drapery shop opposite "The Ladies'

Paradise." The business had been in existence for many years and M.

Baudu conducted it on such old-fas.h.i.+oned lines that in compet.i.tion with Mouret's great establishment it was rapidly disappearing. He had acquired it from his father-in-law, and in turn he proposed to hand it to Colomban, his shopman, who was engaged to be married to Genevieve, his only daughter. Baudu postponed the marriage, however, from time to time, as he did not wish to hand over the business in a worse state than that in which he himself got it. Meanwhile Colomban had become infatuated with Clara Prunaire, who ultimately induced him to run off.

Genevieve, who was in bad health, died soon afterwards, and before long her mother died also. The business had gone from bad to worse, and, in the end, Baudu lost everything, only avoiding bankruptcy by a complete surrender. Like many of his neighbours, he was crushed out of existence by Octave Mouret's triumphant success. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAUDU (MADAME ELIZABETH), wife of the preceding, was the daughter of a draper whose business she brought to her husband. Her health was broken down by worry, and by anxiety regarding her daughter Genevieve, whose death she did not long survive. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAUDU (CAPTAIN), son of Baudu, the draper. He went to Mexico. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAUDU (DENISE) was the daughter of a dyer at Valognes. The death of her father left her with two young brothers dependent on her, and, the elder having got a situation in Paris, she determined to accompany him. M.

Baudu, her uncle, had formerly promised a.s.sistance, but when Denise arrived she found that his business was rapidly being ruined by the steady extension of "The Ladies' Paradise," an enormous drapery establishment belonging to Octave Mouret. In these circ.u.mstances she could not be dependent on her uncle, and, to his annoyance, she applied for and got a situation in this rival business. On account of petty jealousies, her life there was not happy, and, having incurred the enmity of Jouve, one of the inspectors, she was dismissed on a false accusation. A time of great hards.h.i.+p followed, only lightened by the kindness of old Bourras, in whose house she had rented a room for herself and her young brother Pepe. She next got a situation with Robineau, who had bought a silk merchant's business and she remained there for some time. While Denise was at "The Ladies' Paradise" she had attracted the attention of Octave Mouret, and, chancing to meet her one day, he asked her to return. As she found that Robineau's business was not prospering, she consented, and from that time her position in "The Ladies' Paradise" was a.s.sured. Mouret had fallen in love with her, and she with him, but she had sufficient strength of mind to refuse his proposals. Ultimately he asked her to marry him, and to this she agreed.

Au Bonheur des Dames.

Madame Denise Mouret had two children, the elder being a girl and the younger a boy. These resembled their mother, and grew magnificently. Le Docteur Pascal.

BAUDU (GENEVIEVE), daughter of Baudu, the draper. She was engaged for a number of years to Colomban, her father's shopman, but in consequence of the state of trade the marriage was put off from time to time. Genevieve ultimately learned that her fiance had become infatuated with Clara Prunaire, one of the shop-girls in "The Ladies' Paradise." Her health, never good, suffered greatly, and soon after Colomban's disappearance she died. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAUDU (JACQUELINE). See Blanche de Sivry.

BAUDU (JEAN), the elder brother of Denise. He worked for a time with a cabinet-maker in Valognes, but earned nothing, though he learned to carve so well that a gentleman promised to find a place for him with an ivory-carver in Paris. He accepted the offer, and came to the city with his sister and young brother. At first he earned only his board and lodging, and, as he was good-looking and a favourite with women, he made heavy inroads on his sister's small purse. Ultimately, when he did get a wage, he took the earliest opportunity of getting married, inducing his sister, as usual, to give him what little money she had been able to save. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAUDU (PEPE), the youngest brother of Denise. He was a mere child when the family came to Paris, and it was only by the greatest self-sacrifice that Denise was able to support him. When she went to "The Ladies'

Paradise" he was boarded with Madame Gras, and after his sister's dismissal he went with her to Bourras, who showed great kindness to both of them. After Denise returned to "The Ladies' Paradise," Pepe again went to live with Madame Gras for a time. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAUDU (THERESE), wife of Jean Baudu. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAUGE, who was the younger son of a grocer at Dunkerque, came to Paris and got a situation in the linen department of the "Bon Marche," where he was able to make a fairly good income. He became the lover of Pauline Cugnot, whom he afterwards married, and, in order to be near her, left the "Bon Marche" and took an appointment in "The Ladies' Paradise." Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAUGE (MADAME), wife of the preceding. See Pauline Cugnot. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAVOUX, a salesman in Octave Mouret's shop. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BAZOUGE, an undertaker's a.s.sistant who lived in an attic of the same tenement-house as the Coupeaus and the Lorilleux. He was generally drunk and made ribald jests about his dismal calling. It was he who buried Gervaise Coupeau after she was found dead in an attic adjoining his own.

L'a.s.sommoir.

BEAUCHAMP (FLORE), an artist's model, who lived in Rue de Laval. She was fresh in colouring, but too thin. L'Oeuvre.

BEAUDOIN, a friend of the Hamelins whom they had known at Beyrout, where he lived. He promised to marry Caroline Hamelin after the death of her husband, but instead of waiting for that event he obtained the hand of a young and rich girl, the daughter of an English Consul. L'Argent.

BEAUDOIN, Captain of the 106th regiment of the line, commanded by Colonel de Vineuil. He was educated at Saint-Cyr, and having a fine tenor voice and good manners, along with Bonapartist principles, he was early marked for advancement. With his men he was unpopular, and, not caring for his profession, he did not readily adapt himself to the necessities of war. In the march to the Meuse he lost his baggage, and arrived at Sedan in a pitiable condition, his uniform soiled, his face and hands dirty. In former days at Charleville he had been on intimate terms with Gilberte Maginot, whom he now found at Sedan, married to Jules Delaherche. Their former relations were renewed for the moment, and next day Beaudoin rejoined his company, astonis.h.i.+ng every one by the neatness of his attire. At the attack on the Calvary d'Illy he was severely wounded, and having been removed to the ambulance at Delaherche's house, his arm was amputated; but the hemorrhage had been too great, and he did not survive. La Debacle.

BEAU-FRANCOIS (LE), chief of a band of brigands, whose terrible exploits were still recounted at La Beauce. La Terre.

BEAURIVAGE (DUC DE), a character in _La Pet.i.te d.u.c.h.esse_, a piece staged by Fauchery at the Theatre des Varietes. The part was taken by Bosc.

Nana.

BEAUVILLIERS (COMTE CHARLES DE), a man of dissipated habits, who succeeded to the immense fortune of the Beauvilliers, which he completely squandered in a few years. He was killed in an accident of the chase, some said by the vengeance of a keeper. They found later a doc.u.ment signed by him in 1854 undertaking to pay ten thousand francs to a girl named Leonie Cron. L'Argent.

BEAUVILLIERS (COMTESSE DE), an old lady who lived with her daughter Alice in a house in the Rue Saint-Lazare, adjoining the Orviedo mansion.

The family had at one time possessed large estates, but these had all gone, and the Comtesse and her daughter had barely sufficient to live upon, though they endeavoured to keep up before their neighbours as much as possible of their ancient state. Having made the acquaintance of Saccard, the Comtesse invested a small sum in the Universal Bank, increasing it from time to time until her whole means were involved. By the failure of the bank she was entirely ruined, and, to complete the catastrophe, Busch, who had become possessor of some papers compromising the honour of her dead husband, took the opportunity of blackmailing her. When she had handed over her jewels to him, she was left penniless.

L'Argent.

BEAUVILLIERS (ALICE), daughter of Comtesse de Beauvilliers. The extravagance of her father had dissipated the family estates, and she and her mother were left with barely sufficient to keep up appearances.

She was plain-looking, and had reached the age of twenty-five years without any offers of marriage. It was, however, in the hope of providing a suitable dowry for her, that the Comtesse invested her money in the Universal Bank, with disastrous results. Alice, who had few amus.e.m.e.nts, interested herself in charities, and frequently visited the inst.i.tutions founded by Princess d'Orviedo. On a visit to _L'Oeuvre du Travail_ she was attacked and robbed of a small sum by Victor Saccard, who was at that time an inmate. Her injuries were severe, and a serious illness followed. The failure of the Universal Bank left her and her mother in poverty. L'Argent.

BEAUVILLIERS (FERDINANDE DE), son of Comte Beauvilliers. He was for a time the cause of anxiety to his mother on account of some youthful extravagances, but early settled down, and having received a commission in the Papal troops, served with distinction. He was delicate, however, and died of fever in Rome. L'Argent.

BECKER, a jeweller in Paris. He supplied a set of sapphires for the mistress of Comte de m.u.f.fat. Nana.

BECOT, a grocer in Rue Montorgueil. Having become a widower, he took to dissolute courses, and his shop was gradually swallowed up, with its dried vegetables, jars, and drawers of sweetstuff. Eventually the place was sold up and Becot died of apoplexy soon afterwards. L'Oeuvre.

BECOT (IRMA), daughter of the preceding. After her father's death she went to live with an aunt, but soon afterwards ran off with a young fellow who lived across the street. She did not remain long with him, but, having a pa.s.sion for artists, experienced in turn a caprice for f.a.gerolles, Gagniere, and many others. A young and foolish Marquis furnished a flat for her, and later she occupied a house in Rue de Moscou, the rent of which was twenty thousand francs. In the end she realized her dream of a princely house in the Avenue de Villiers; the site was bought by one lover, the house built by another, and the furniture provided by a third. But fortune did not alter her tastes; behind the backs of her serious lovers she still retained her fancy for Art, in the person of Henri f.a.gerolles, one of her early admirers.

L'Oeuvre.

BEC-SALE, alias BOIT-SANS-SOIF, a rivet-maker employed in the same factory as Goujet. He drank enormous quant.i.ties of brandy, and was a boon companion of Coupeau. On the occasion of Gervaise Coupeau's first visit to the factory to see her son Etienne, Bec-Sale entered into a contest of strength with Goujet in which he was beaten. L'a.s.sommoir.

BECU, gamekeeper and bell-ringer at Rognes, was a man of fifty years of age who had at one time been in the army. He was an intense Bonapartist, and pretended that he had met the Emperor. Himself a confirmed drunkard, he was on friendly terms with Hyacinthe Fouan, whose poaching expeditions he overlooked. La Terre.

BECU (LA), wife of the preceding, was on intimate terms with Hyacinthe Fouan. Her chief amus.e.m.e.nt was to throw Celine Macqueron and Flore Lengaigne against one another under the pretext of reconciling them.

Though she was not devout, she made ardent intercessions to Heaven to reserve for her son a lucky number in the drawing for the conscription, but, after the event, turned her anger against the Deity because her prayers had not been answered. La Terre.

BECU (DELPHIN), son of the preceding, was a strong lad who, on leaving school, went to work as a farm labourer. He was much averse to leaving home, and, having drawn an unlucky number for the conscription, he chopped off with a cleaver the first finger of his right hand, in order that he might be unfit for service. La Terre.

BECU (MICHEL), uncle of Delphin. He died at Orleans. La Terre.

BEDORE, a hosier in Rue Gaillon, whose business was ruined by the extension of "The Ladies' Paradise." Au Bonheur des Dames.

BEJUIN (LEON), a Member of the Corps Legislatif, and a supporter of Eugene Rougon. He was proprietor of the Saint-Florent Cut-Gla.s.s Works.

"A very worthy fellow, votes straight, never speaks, is very patient and waits contentedly till you think of him, but he is always on the spot to take care that you don't forget him." He received the Cross of the Legion of Honour after Rougon's return to office, and an appointment as Inspector. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

BEJUIN (MADAME), wife of the preceding. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

BELLOMBRE, a neighbour of Doctor Pascal at La Souleiade. He was a retired Professor, sixty-six years of age, who lived in his little house with no other company than his gardener, a man as old and crabbed as himself. His interests were solely centred in himself, and his egotism was a constant subject of irritation with Doctor Pascal. Le Docteur Pascal.

BELLOQUE (LE PERE), the first art-master of Claude Lantier. A retired infantry captain, with one arm, he had for a quarter of a century taught drawing to the youths of Pla.s.sans, in one of the galleries of the museum. L'Oeuvre.

BENARD, one of the tenants of the house in which Madame Coupeau carried on her laundry business. Benard and his wife were of intemperate habits, and few days pa.s.sed without their fighting with one another.

L'a.s.sommoir.

BERAUD DU CHATEL (M.) was the last representative of an old middle-cla.s.s family. A staunch Republican, he had grown old in the Magistracy, which he resigned at the time of the _Coup d'Etat_. Since then he lived in retirement in his house on the Ile Saint-Louis with his sister Madame Aubertot and his young daughter Christine. His elder daughter Renee, who was educated at a convent, was married to Aristide Saccard, and the circ.u.mstances which led to her marriage came as a severe blow to the stern old man. Though on nominally friendly terms with his daughter after her marriage, he never visited her, but when she died he paid her debts. La Curee.

BERAUD DU CHATEL (CHRISTINE), the second daughter of M. Beraud du Chatel, and sister of Madame Renee Saccard. La Curee.

BERAUD DU CHATEL (RENEE). See Madame Renee Rougon, alias Saccard.

BERGa.s.sE, a second-hand dealer in Pla.s.sans. He supplied the old furniture bought by Madame Faujas. La Conquete de Pla.s.sans.