A Zola Dictionary Part 21

LERENARD, the keeper of a cafe in the neighbourhood of Montsou.

Germinal.

LEROI, alias CANON, a journeyman carpenter, who deserted Paris on account of some trouble, and preferred to live in the country, tramping from village to village, doing a week here and a week there, and offering his services from one farm to another when his employer did not want him. When there was a scarcity of work he begged on the high-roads, living partly on the vegetables he stole. He professed strong revolutionary principles, which he was fond of airing in village ale-shops. He was a friend of Hyacinthe Fouan. La Terre.

LETELLIER, father of Madame Deberle and her sister Pauline. He owned an extensive silk warehouse on the Boulevard des Capucines. "Since his wife's death he had been taking his younger daughter about everywhere, in search of a rich husband for her." Une Page d'Amour.

LETELLIER (JULIETTE). See Madame Deberle.

LETELLIER (PAULINE), the younger daughter of M. Letellier, a wealthy silk merchant, and sister of Madame Deberle. She was a giddy young girl who went about everywhere with her father in the hope of securing a rich husband, and was a constant visitor at the house of her sister. Une Page d'Amour.

LETURC (MADAME), widow of a captain, was a protegee of Madame Correur, who obtained a tobacco licence for her. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

LEVAQUE, a neighbour of the Maheus. He was of intemperate habits, and beat his wife on little provocation. During the strike he was among the most reckless, and at the a.s.sault on the Voreux pit he was taken prisoner by the troops. His arrest made him a sort of hero, and by the Paris newspapers he was credited with a reply of antique sublimity to the examining magistrate. Germinal.

LEVAQUE (ACHILLE), the eldest child of Zacharie Maheu and of Philomene Levaque. He was three years old when his parents were married. Germinal.

LEVAQUE (BEBERT), son of the Levaques, was a little boy of twelve, who already worked in the pit. Along with Lydie Pierron, he was a companion of Jeanlin Maheu in many escapades. As Jeanlin became more daring and unscrupulous, Bebert and Lydie were drawn together in an affection born of their common fear of him. The three children were present at the attack on the Voreux pit, and Bebert and Lydie, killed by the volley fired by the troops, fell dead in one another's arms. Germinal.

LEVAQUE (DESIREE), the youngest child of Philomene, aged nine months.

Germinal.

LEVAQUE (PHILOMENE), daughter of the Levaques, had two children to Zacharie Maheu before her marriage to him. She had a delicacy of the chest and was unable to work underground. After the death of her husband she left Montsou with her two children, in the company of a miner from the Pas-de-Calais. Germinal.

LEVAQUE (LA), wife of Levaque the miner, and mother of Philomene and Bebert. She was a bad housekeeper, and was roughly treated by her husband, who, however, did not take exception to her relations with Bouteloup, their lodger. Germinal.

LEVa.s.sEUR (MADAME), an acquaintance of Madame Deberle. Une Page d'Amour.

LEVa.s.sEUR, chief clerk at "The Ladies' Paradise." Au Bonheur des Dames.

LEVa.s.sEUR, a tax-collector at Chene Populeux. His father was one of the heroes of the army of the first Napoleon. He married a peasant woman named Fouchard, who died in bringing Maurice and his twin sister Henriette into the world. He sacrificed everything to make his son a gentleman, and the bad conduct of the lad hastened his end. La Debacle.

LEVa.s.sEUR (HENRIETTE), daughter of the preceding, and twin sister of Maurice. After the death of her father she gave up the whole of her share of his property in order to retrieve to some extent the foolish conduct of her brother. Fortunately she had the chance soon after to marry Weiss, with whom she lived happily. On the morning of the battle of Sedan, Henriette, fearing that her husband was in danger at Bazeilles, where he had gone to look after a house he had recently bought, decided to follow him there. By this time the fighting was going on fiercely, and when, after the greatest difficulties and dangers, she arrived at Bazeilles, she was only in time to see her husband shot before her eyes. She took refuge at Remilly, at the house of her uncle Fouchard, and devoted herself to the care of the wounded in the battle.

Among these was Jean Macquart, who along with Maurice had escaped from captivity. After the war with Prussia was over, Maurice unfortunately threw in his lot with the Communists, and when Henriette followed him to Paris it was to find that he had been fatally wounded in the fighting there. By an extraordinary chance, the wound was inflicted by his former comrade, Jean Macquart, who had remained in the regular army when Maurice joined the Communist ranks. The death of Maurice in this way put an end to the possibility of a dawning love idyll between Henriette and Jean Macquart. La Debacle.

LEVa.s.sEUR (MAURICE), twin brother of the preceding. Everything was sacrificed by his father and sister in order that he might become an advocate, but when he went to Paris to complete his education he took part in every kind of foolishness and dissipation. In July, 1870, he had just been admitted to the Bar, when the outbreak of war found him full of enthusiasm, and he at once enlisted in the 106th Regiment of the line, commanded by Colonel de Vineuil. He was put into the squad of Jean Macquart, against whom he had at first an aversion. Later, the kindness of Jean when he was worn out with fatigue practically saved his life, and they became close comrades, Maurice in turn saving Jean by carrying him, severely wounded, from the battlefield of Sedan. Maurice was of a highly strung, nervous temperament, and the repeated disasters of the campaign drove him to madness. He threw himself into the Communist struggle, and sought for death when defeat became certain. It was Jean Macquart, his old comrade, who, by an extraordinary chance, was fated to deliver the fatal blow. La Debacle.

LEVEQUE (MADAME), sister-in-law of Durieu, the brewer. L'Argent.

LEVEQUE, a solicitor at Pla.s.sans. He interested himself in the affairs of Dr. Pascal Rougon after Grandguillot absconded and was able to recover a considerable sum which Pascal had believed to be entirely lost. Le Docteur Pascal.

LEVEQUE (MADEMOISELLE), daughter of the preceding, was an old friend of Clotilde Rougon, who was three years older than her. She married Dr.

Ramond. Le Docteur Pascal.

LHOMME (M.), chief cashier at "The Ladies' Paradise." "Son of a tax-collector at Chablis, he came to Paris as a clerk in the office of a merchant of the Port-aux-Vins. Then, while lodging in Rue Cuvier, he married the daughter of his concierge, and from that day he bowed submissively before his wife, whose commercial ability filled him with respect. She earned more than twenty thousand francs a year in the dress department of 'The Ladies' Paradise,' whilst he only drew a fixed salary of five thousand francs." The loss of his right arm in an omnibus accident did not interfere with his work, and did not prevent him from playing upon a specially constructed French horn, an instrument of which he was pa.s.sionately fond. Au Bonheur des Dames.

LHOMME (MADAME AURELIE), wife of the preceding. The daughter of a small tailor, she had keen business instincts, and, as head of the dress department at "The Ladies' Paradise," was able to make a large income.

She was far from friendly to Denise Baudu, but seeing ultimately that Mouret was in love with the girl, she changed her methods in the hope of rendering her own position more secure. Au Bonheur des Dames.

LHOMME (ALBERT), son of the preceding. He was an idle and vicious youth, who could keep no position, and only got a post in the pay-desk of "The Ladies' Paradise" through the influence of his mother. He was careless in his work, and was repeatedly reprimanded, causing his parents much anxiety; ultimately it was discovered that he had conspired with some of the salesmen in a long series of frauds, and his dismissal followed. Au Bonheur des Dames.

LIARDIN, a relation of the Quenus. He was a member of Pauline's family council, and consented to her emanc.i.p.ation. La Joie de Vivre.

LIENARD, son of a rich Angers draper, came to Paris and got a situation in "The Ladies' Paradise." His spare time was spent in idleness and debauchery, and when his father recalled him to Angers he refused to leave Paris. Au Bonheur des Dames.

LIEUTAUD (M.), the diocesan architect at Pla.s.sans. He was consulted by Madame Mouret and Abbe Faujas regarding the Home for Girls which they founded, and he subsequently prepared the plans for the building. La Conquete de Pla.s.sans.

LIEVIN, a townsman of Pla.s.sans, who was amongst those enrolled and armed by Pierre Rougon to rescue the Town Hall, which had been occupied by the Republicans. He was so excited that he fired in the air without intending to do so. La Fortune des Rougon.

LILI, pet name of Amelie, the daughter of Gaga. Nana.

LINGUERLOT (LES), neighbours of the Lorilleux in Rue de la Goutte-d'Or.

L'a.s.sommoir.

LIOTARD (VEUVE HENRI), a firm of shipowners who joined the transport syndicate formed by Aristide Saccard. L'Argent.

LISA, a peasant girl of Les Artaud. Like the others of her cla.s.s, she was void of any religious feeling, and when she came to decorate the church for the festival of the Virgin, she engaged in all sorts of irreverent pranks. La Faute de l'Abbe Mouret.

LISA, a workwoman employed by Madame t.i.treville, the artificial-flower maker. L'a.s.sommoir.

LISA, Madame Campardon's housemaid. She was active and intelligent, and her conduct was regarded as irreproachable. This was, however, a somewhat too favourable estimate, and her companionship was by no means beneficial to the Campardons' young daughter, Angele. Pot-Bouille.

LISON (LA), the name of the express engine driven by Jacques Lantier up to the time of the terrible railway accident caused by Flore. La Bete Humaine.

LLORENTZ (MADAME DE), one of the ladies-in-waiting of the Empress Eugenie and sister of M. La Rouquette, was the widow of General de Llorentz. She carried on an intrigue with De Ma.s.sy, and was said to hold three compromising letters from him regarding certain august personages.

Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

LOGRE, a fish auctioneer at the _Halles Centrales_. He attended the revolutionary meetings at Lebigre's wine shop, and made violent speeches there, but was really an agent of the Police. Le Ventre de Paris.

LOISEAU, a munic.i.p.al councillor of Rognes. He was devoted to the Mayor, Alexandre Hourdequin, on whose farm his son worked. He was an uncle of Macqueron. La Terre.

LONJUMEAU, a member of the band of brigands led by Beau-Francois. La Terre.

LORET (MADAME), a woman who lived in the neighbourhood of the _Halles Centrales_. Mademoiselle Saget made ill-natured remarks regarding her.

Le Ventre de Paris.

LORILLEUX, a maker of gold chains, who was married to Coupeau's sister.

He was a little man who looked much older than his age, and suffered from a constant cough. Miserly and spiteful, he was jealous of the Coupeaus in their success, and rejoiced at their downfall. L'a.s.sommoir.

LORILLEUX (MADAME), wife of the preceding, was a sister of Coupeau, who married Gervaise Macquart. Along with her husband, she worked at the trade of gold chain-making; like him, she was so avaricious that her custom was to examine the soles of her visitors' boots lest they should depart with any adhering gold dust. From the first she resented her brother's marriage, and took every opportunity of being disagreeable to Gervaise. Though she was willing to accept the Coupeaus' hospitality in their prosperous days, she refused to do anything to a.s.sist them after their downfall. L'a.s.sommoir.

LORILLON (LES), peasants at Rognes, who were said to have been cured of illness by the bone-setter Sourdeau. La Terre.

LOUBET, a soldier in the 106th Regiment of the line; in the squad of Corporal Jean Macquart. He was unwilling to fight, and during the battle of 1st September, 1870, he a.s.sisted his comrade Chouteau to carry Sapin to the ambulance, spending the rest of the day in a tavern. After the capitulation of the French army, Loubet was made a prisoner. Along with Chouteau he made a determined effort to escape, and would have done so had not his companion treacherously tripped him up in order to increase his own chance. La Debacle.

LOUHETTE, an elderly draper in Rue Neuve Saint-Augustin. He was the father of Madame Theophile Vabre. Pot-Bouille.

LOUHETTE (MADAME), wife of the preceding, and mother of Madame Theophile Vabre. Pot-Bouille.

LOUHETTE (VALERIE). See Theophile Vabre.