A Zola Dictionary Part 20

LAQUERRIERE (FLORENT), an unfortunate man who died of yellow fever in Dutch Guiana in the arms of Florent. It was by the aid of his papers that Florent, who had escaped from Cayenne, was able to return to France, and to evade the notice of the police. Le Ventre de Paris.

LA ROUQUETTE (M.), a member of the Chamber of Deputies. His sister, Madame de Llorentz, was one of the ladies-in-waiting of the Empress Eugenie. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

LA ROUQUETTE (MADEMOISELLE DE). See Madame de Llorentz.

LARSONNEAU, formerly a clerk at the Hotel de Ville along with Aristide Saccard; he was dismissed for prying into the prefet's private drawers.

He acted for Saccard in many of the shady transactions in which he could not himself appear, and being entirely unscrupulous ultimately ama.s.sed such a sum of money that he was able to start a small banking establishment. La Curee.

He became immensely rich. It was through him that Busch came to know the past life of Aristide Saccard. L'Argent.

LAURE, an actress for whom Joncquier had an infatuation. Nana.

LAURE, a performer in a singing-hall at Montmartre. Hutin, one of Octave Mouret's salesmen, and his friend Lienard applauded her performance so noisily that the police threatened to intervene. Au Bonheur des Dames.

LAURENT, a peasant in easy circ.u.mstances who lived near Artaud. Pere Bambousse was anxious to have him as son-in-law. La Faute de l'Abbe Mouret.

LAURENT, the recorder at the court of Rouen who a.s.sisted Denizet at the inquiry into the murder of Grandmorin. He was skilful in selecting the essential parts of evidence, so as not to put down anything useless. La Bete Humaine.

LAURENT, a gardener at Bazeilles. He was a man of thirty years of age who had recently lost his mother and his wife, who had both died of the same fever. During the battle of 1st September, 1870, he took part in the defence of Weiss's house, and having only his own body to care for, he determined to sell it dearly, and at each shot to bring down one of the enemy. He continued firing till his ammunition was exhausted, when he was taken prisoner by the Prussians, who finding that he was a civilian removed him, along with Weiss, for instant execution. In the face of the firing party he retained all his calmness, standing with his hands in his pockets till the fatal shots were fired. La Debacle.

LAUWERENS (DE), a well-known financier who was both wealthy and avaricious. He went the length of refusing to pay his wife's milliner's bill. La Curee.

LAUWERENS (MADAME DE), wife of the preceding. Notwithstanding certain well-authenticated scandals, she managed to keep her high position in society. She was a friend of Renee Saccard. La Curee.

LAVIGNIERE, was one of the auditors at the Universal Bank, Rousseau being the other. Their duties were delicate, and in the circ.u.mstances useless. Lavigniere was disposed to approve of everything, being consumed with a desire to become a member of the board later on.

L'Argent.

LA VIGNIERE (CHEVALIER DE), grandfather of Madame Chanteau. La Joie de Vivre.

LA VIGNIERE (EUGENIE DE). See Madame Chanteau.

LA VILLARDIERE (DE), deputy for the department of the Cote d'Or. He was a friend of La Rouquette. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

LEA, a customer at the Cafe Anglais. Nana.

LEBEAU, a man of considerable influence in the Second Empire, whom Clorinde Balbi was able to gain over to the cause of Eugene Rougon. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

LEBLEU, the cashier at Havre railway station. La Bete Humaine.

LEBLEU (MADAME), wife of the preceding, was a woman of forty-five, so stout that she was in constant danger of choking. Between her and Severine Roubaud there was ill-feeling of long standing, arising from a question of their houses in the Station, the Lebleus occupying that which should by rights have belonged to the Roubauds, who on account of the generosity of their predecessor were relegated to rooms little more cheerful than a prison. She had a mania for spying upon her neighbours, and in the end caused so much irritation, that she was ordered to exchange houses with the Roubauds, thus letting them have the one to which they were ent.i.tled. The annoyance, and the change to a dismal house, proved fatal to Madame Lebleu, and she died four months afterwards. La Bete Humaine.

LEBIGRE, proprietor of the wine shop where Florent and his friends held their meetings. He was a police spy. Ultimately he married Louise Mehudin. Le Ventre de Paris.

LEBIGRE (MADAME). See Louise Mehudin.

LEBOUCQ, Counsellor at the Court of Rouen. He was a.s.sessor at the trial of Roubaud and Cabuche. La Bete Humaine.

LEBOUCQ (MADAME), wife of the preceding. She was a handsome woman, for whose receptions the barristers of Rouen were beginning to desert those of Madame Bonnehon, her rival. It was said that to the influence of Madame Leboucq was largely due the result of the trial of Roubaud, a result not favourable to the family of President Grandmorin. La Bete Humaine.

LECOEUR (MADAME), a b.u.t.ter and cheese merchant at the _Halles Centrales_. She was sister-in-law to Gavard, and had an idea of marrying him after the death of his wife. He made no advances, however, and she subsequently regarded him with bitter ill-will. Along with Mlle. Saget, she took an active share in the gossip which partly led to the arrest of Florent and Gavard, and wrote an anonymous letter denouncing them to the police. Accompanied by La Sarriette, her niece, she went to Gavard's house after his arrest, and took possession of his money, which they divided between them. Le Ventre de Paris.

LECOMTE (MADAME), an acquaintance of the Deberles. Une Page d'Amour.

LEFEVRE (MADAME), wife of a manufacturer at Raucourt, whose house was pillaged by the Prussians after the battle of Beaumont. La Debacle.

LEGOUGEUX, a miner at Joiselle. He was an a.s.sociate of Pluchart.

Germinal.

LEGRAIN (GENERAL), a deputy at the Corps Legislatif. He was devoted to the Emperor, and notwithstanding a severe attack of gout, attended at the Chamber in order to vote the funds for the baptism of the Prince Imperial. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

LEHONGRE (LES), grocers in Rue Neuve de la Goutte-d'Or. L'a.s.sommoir.

LEHUDIER, a child to whom Charvet gave lessons. Le Ventre de Paris.

LELORRAIN, a notary in Rue Sainte Anne. In his office was executed the deed which established the joint-stock company of the Universal Bank.

L'Argent.

LEMBALLEUSE, a family who lived in a ruined mill near the cathedral of Beaumont. It consisted of a grandmother, her daughter, and three granddaughters, all of whom lived by begging. Angelique did all she could for them, giving them food and even clothes. Le Reve.

LENFANT, the keeper of a dram-shop at Montsou. Germinal.

LENGAIGNE, a dealer in tobacco and tavern-keeper at Rogues. He cultivated a small piece of land, while his wife weighed tobacco and looked after the cellar. He also shaved and cut the hair of the village, a trade learned by him when he was in the army. He professed strong Republican principles, though he was afraid to express his opinions too strongly, in case of losing his licence. An old rivalry subsisted between him and Macqueron, a neighbouring tavern-keeper with whom he was always on the point of blows. La Terre.

LENGAIGNE (MADAME FLORE), wife of the preceding. She was always quarrelling with Coelina Macqueron. La Terre.

LENGAIGNE (SUZANNE), daughter of the two preceding. She was apprenticed to a dressmaker at Chateaudun, but after six months ran off to Paris where she led a gay life. Her return to her native village clad in silks caused quite a sensation, of which her parents were very proud. La Terre.

LENGAIGNE (VICTOR), brother of Suzanne. Before he was drawn in the conscription he was an awkward youth, but he returned a swaggering braggart, who could hardly be recognized with his moustache and beard.

La Terre.

LENORE, a racehorse; mother of Frangipane. Nana.

LEON, a lad of about fifteen years of age, apprentice to Quenu. He was a gentle-looking lad, given to stealing stray bits of ham and sausage, which he concealed under his pillow and ate during the night. Le Ventre de Paris.

LEONCE (MADAME), the door-keeper of the house where Gavard lived in the Rue de la Cossonnerie. She acted also as Gavard's housekeeper. Le Ventre de Paris.

LEONIE, an artificial-flower maker employed by Madame t.i.treville. She left her trade in order to be married. L'a.s.sommoir.

LEONIE, aunt of Louise Thibaudier. Louise went to her house after leaving Bonneville, driven away by Pauline Quenu. La Joie de Vivre.

LEPALMEC, a peasant at Plogof, in Brittany. Germinal.

LEQUEU, the schoolmaster at Rogues. His parents were peasants, and he had an intense hatred of the cla.s.s from which he had sprung, looking upon them as little better than barbarians. In politics he had advanced views, but in consequence of his position he concealed them to a great extent. Disappointed in the hope which he had long nourished of marrying Berthe Macqueron, he ended by preaching the doctrines of anarchy. La Terre.

LERAT (MADAME), nee Coupeau, was a sister of Coupeau and Madame Lorilleux. She was a widow of thirty-six years of age, and was forewoman in the manufactory of artificial flowers carried on by Madame t.i.treville. The eldest of the Coupeau family, she was "a tall, skinny, mannish-looking woman, who talked through her nose"; she lived a hard-working, cloisteral existence, but she had a perfect mania for making improper allusions, so very obscure that only she herself could understand them. L'a.s.sommoir.

For a long time she lost sight of her niece Nana, but later she found her in a position of apparent wealth. Madame Lerat had abandoned her trade of artificial-flower-maker and lived upon her savings, sc.r.a.ped together sou by sou. Nana rented a small house for her aunt, and gave her an allowance of a hundred francs per month to look after her little son Louiset. Nana.