A Zola Dictionary Part 32

SIDONIE (MADAME), the name by which Sidonie Rougon (q.v.) was generally known. La Curee.

SIMON (LA MERE), an old woman who a.s.sisted Severine Roubaud in her housework. La Bete Humaine.

SIMONNOT, a grocer at Raucourt. His premises were raided by the Bavarians after the Battle of Beaumont. La Debacle.

SIMPSON, an American who was attache at his country's Emba.s.sy at Paris.

He was a frequent visitor at the house of Renee Saccard. La Curee.

SIVRY (BLANCHE DE), the name a.s.sumed by Jacqueline Baudu, a girl who came to Paris from a village near Amiens. Magnificent in person, stupid and untruthful in character, she gave herself out as the granddaughter of a general, and never owned to her thirty-two summers. She was much annoyed at the outbreak of war with Germany, because her lover, a young Prussian, was expelled from the country. Nana.

SMELTEN, a baker at Montsou. He gave credit for some time during the strike, in the hope of recovering some of his business taken away by Maigrat. Germinal.

SMITHSON (MISS), Lucien Deberle's English governess. Une Page d'Amour.

SONNEVILLE, a manufacturer at Marchiennes. His business was seriously affected by the strike of miners at Montsou. Germinal.

SOPHIE, a workwoman employed at Madame t.i.treville's artificial flower-making establishment. L'a.s.sommoir.

SOPHIE, an old waiting-maid in the service of the d.u.c.h.esse de Combeville, whose daughter, Princess d'Orviedo, she brought up. When the Princess shut herself up from the world, Sophie remained with her.

L'Argent.

SOPHIE, daughter of Guiraude. Predestined to phthisis by heredity, she was saved, thanks to Dr. Pascal Rougon, who sent her to live with an aunt in the country, where she was brought up in the open air. When she was seventeen years old she married a young miller in the neighbourhood.

Le Docteur Pascal.

SOULAS, an old shepherd at La Borderie, where he had been for half a century. At sixty-five he had saved nothing, having been eaten up by a drunken wife, "whom at last he had the pleasure of burying." He had few friends, except his two dogs, Emperor and Ma.s.sacre, and he especially hated Jacqueline Cognet with the jealous disgust of an old servant at her rapid advancement. He was aware of her numerous liaisons, but said nothing until she brought about his dismissal, when he told everything to his master, Alexandre Hourdequin. La Terre.

SOURDEAU, a bone-setter at Bazoches-le-Doyen, who was supposed to be equally good for wounds. La Terre.

SOUVARINE, an engine-man at the Voreux pit, who lodged with the Rasteneurs. He was a Russian of n.o.ble family, who had at first studied medicine, until, carried away by social enthusiasm, he learned a trade in order that he might mix with the people. It was by this trade that he now lived, after having fled in consequence of an unsuccessful attempt against the Czar's life, an attempt which resulted in his mistress, Annouchka, and many of his friends, being hanged. His principles were those of the most violent anarchy, and he would have nothing to do with the strike at Montsou, which he considered a merely childish affair.

Disgusted at the return of the miners to their work, he resolved to bring about the destruction of the Voreux pit, by weakening the timbers which kept out a vast acc.u.mulation of water. He accomplished that work of madness in a fury of destruction in which he twenty times risked his life. And when the torrent had invaded the mine, imprisoning the unfortunate workers, Souvarine went calmly away into the unknown without a glance behind. Germinal.

SPIRIT, an English horse which ran in the Grand Prix de Paris. Nana.

SPONTINI, a master at the College of Pla.s.sans. He came originally from Corsica, and used to show his knife, rusty with the blood of three cousins. L'Oeuvre.

SQUELETTE-EXTERNE (LE). See Mimi-la-Mort. L'Oeuvre.

STADERINO (SIGNOR), a Venetian political refugee, and a friend of Comtesse Balbi. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

STEINBERG (GOLIATH), a Prussian spy who was engaged in 1867 as a farm servant by Fouchard at Remilly. He became the lover of Silvine Morange, promising her marriage, but disappearing before the ceremony. It was said that he served also on other farms in the neighbourhood of Beaumont and Raucourt. During the war he was able to give important information to the German forces. In trying to regain his former influence over Silvine, he threatened to remove their child to Germany, and, to prevent his doing so, she betrayed him to Guillaume Sambuc and the francs-tireurs of his band, who killed him in the house of Fouchard, in the presence of Silvine, by cutting his throat, and bleeding him in the same manner as a pig. La Debacle.

STEINER, a banker in Paris. He was a German Jew, through whose hands had pa.s.sed millions. He spent vast sums upon Rose Mignon and Nana. Nana.

STERNICH (d.u.c.h.eSSE DE), a celebrated leader of society in the Second Empire. She dominated all her friends on the ground of a former intimacy with the Emperor. La Curee.

STEWARD (LUCY), was the daughter of an engine-cleaner of English origin who was employed at the Gare du Nord. She was not beautiful, but had such a charm of manner that she was considered the smartest of the _demi-mondaines_ in Paris. Among her lovers had been a prince of the royal blood. She had a son, Ollivier, before whom she posed as an actress. Nana.

STEWART (OLLIVIER), son of the preceding. He was a pupil at the naval college, and had no suspicion of the calling of his mother. Nana.

SURIN (ABBE), secretary to the Bishop of Pla.s.sans, of whom he was a great favourite. He was a constant visitor at the home of M. Rastoil, with whose daughters he played battledore. La Conquete de Pla.s.sans.

SYLVIA, an actress who was admired by Maxime Saccard. La Curee.

T

TABOUREAU (MADAME), a baker in the Rue Turbigo. She was a recognized authority on all subjects relating to her neighbours. Le Ventre de Paris.

TATIN (MADEMOISELLE), kept an under-linen warehouse in the Pa.s.sage Choiseul, and was so seriously affected by the compet.i.tion of Octave Mouret's great store that she became bankrupt. Au Bonheur des Dames.

TARDIVEAU (BARON DE), a character in _La Pet.i.te d.u.c.h.esse_, a play by Fauchery. The part was played by Fontan.

TATAN NENE, a young girl of great beauty who had herded cows in Champagne before coming to Paris. She was one of Nana's friends. Nana.

TAVERNIER, an old doctor of Orleans, who had ceased to practise. Georges Hugon made a pretext of visiting him, in order to be able to join Nana at La Mignotte. Nana.

TEISSIERE (MADAME), a _mondaine_ of the Second Empire. She was a friend of Madame de Lauwerens and of the Saccards. La Curee.

TESTANIERE (MADAME), a protegee of Madame Correur, who recommended her to Eugene Rougon, the Minister of State. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

TEUSE (LA), an elderly woman who acted as servant to Abbe Mouret. In addition, she cleaned the church and kept the vestments in order; on occasion, it was said, she had even served the Ma.s.s for the Abbe's predecessor. She was garrulous and ill-tempered, but was devoted to Mouret, of whom she took the greatest care, and she was also kind to his weak-minded sister, Desiree. La Faute de l'Abbe Mouret.

THEODORE, a Belgian who gave lessons on the piano to Clarisse Bocquet, and afterwards became her lover. Pot-Bouille.

THEODORE, son of a paste-board maker. He was to have married Nathalie Dejoie, but wishing to establish himself in business, demanded a considerable dowry. He afterwards married the daughter of a workman, who brought him nearly eight thousand francs. L'Argent.

THERESE, a former neighbour of the Lorilleux in Rue de la Goutte d'Or. She died of consumption, and the Lorilleux thought they saw a resemblance between Gervaise and her. L'a.s.sommoir.

THIBAUDIER (M.), a banker at Caen. He had a daughter, Louise, but having married again soon after the death of his first wife, he troubled little about her, and was quite willing to consent to her marriage with Lazare Chanteau. La Joie de Vivre.

THIBAUDIER (LOUISE), daughter of M. Thibaudier, a banker at Caen. She was a slight, delicate girl, with an attractive manner, and Lazare Chanteau fell in love with her, though he was at the time engaged to Pauline Quenu. Pauline having magnanimously released him, they were married. Lazare's morbid mania having become more acute, and Louise being herself in poor health, their relations became strained, and the marriage was not a happy one. They had a son who was named Paul. La Joie de Vivre.

Louise died young. Le Docteur Pascal.

THOMAS, keeper of an eating-house at Montmartre. L'a.s.sommoir.

THOMAS (ANSELME), a journeyman saddler at Pla.s.sans. He married Justine Megot, tempted by the annuity of twelve hundred francs which she received from Saccard. He disliked her child, the little Charles Rougon, who was degenerate and weak-minded. Le Docteur Pascal.

THOMAS (MADAME ANSELME), wife of the preceding. See Justine Megot. Le Docteur Pascal.

TISON, keeper of a dram-shop at Montsou. Germinal.

TISSOT (MADAME), a friend of Madame Deberle. Une Page d'Amour.

t.i.tREVILLE (MADAME) carried on the business of an artificial-flower maker, of which Madame Lerat was forewoman, and where Nana Coupeau was a pupil. She was a tall woman who never unbent, and the girls were all afraid of her, pretending to be engrossed in work whenever she appeared.

L'a.s.sommoir.