Repertory of The Comedie Humaine Part 31

While playing the "jeune premiere" she was recognized by her mother.

[The Middle Cla.s.ses.]

MAHUCHET (Madame), women's shoemaker, "a very foul-mouthed woman," in the language of Madame Nourrisson; mother of seven children. After having dunned a countess, to no avail, for a hundred francs that was due her, she conceived the idea of carrying off the silverware, on display at a grand dinner to be given by her debtor one evening, as a pledge. She promptly returned, however, the silver she had taken, upon finding that it was white metal. [The Unconscious Humorists.]

MALAGA, surname of Marguerite Turquet.

MALa.s.sIS (Jeanne), from the country, a servant of Pingret, who was an avaricious and wealthy old peasant of the suburbs of Limoges. Mortally injured while hastening to the a.s.sistance of her master, who was robbed and murdered, she was the second victim of J.-F. Tascheron.

[The Country Parson.]

MALFATTI, Venetian doctor; in 1820 called into consultation with one of his fellow-physicians in France, concerning the sickness of the Duc Cataneo. [Ma.s.similla Doni.]

MALIN. (See Gondreville.)

MALLET, policeman in the department of Orne in 1809. Ordered to find and arrest Madame Bryond des Minieres, he let her escape, by means of an agreement with his comrade, Ratel, who was to have aided in her capture. Having been imprisoned for this deed, Mallet was declared by Bourlac deserving of capital punishment, and was put to death the same year. [The Seamy Side of History.]

MALVAUT (Jenny). (See Derville, Madame.)

MANCINI (De), Italian, fair, effeminate, madly beloved by La Marana, who had by him a daughter, Juana-Pepita-Maria de Mancini, later Madame Diard. [The Maranas.]

MANCINI (Juana-Pepita-Maria de). (See Diard, Madame.)

MANERVILLE (De), born in 1731; Norman gentleman to whom the governor of Guyenne, Richelieu, married one of the wealthiest Bordeaux heiresses. He purchased a commission as major of the Gardes de la Porte, in the latter part of Louis XV.'s reign; had by his wife a son, Paul, who was reared with austerity; emigrated, at the outbreak of the Revolution, to Martinique, but managed to save his property, Lanstrac, etc., thanks to Maitre Mathias, head-clerk of the notary. He became a widower in 1810, three years before his death. [A Marriage Settlement.]

MANERVILLE (Paul Francois-Joseph, Comte de), son of the preceding, born in 1794, received his education in the college at Vendome, finishing his work there in 1810, the year of his mother's death. He pa.s.sed three years at Bordeaux with his father, who had become overbearing and avaricious; when left an orphan, he inherited a large fortune, including Lanstrac in Gironde, and a house in Paris, rue de la Pepiniere. He spent six years in Europe as a diplomat, pa.s.sing his vacations in Paris, where he was intimate with Henri de Marsay, and was a lover of Paquita Valdes. There he was subject to the trifling of Madame Charles de Vandenesse, then Emilie de Fontaine; also, perhaps, met Lucien de Rubempre. In the winter of 1821 he returned to Bordeaux, where he was a social leader. Paul de Manerville received the appropriate nick-name of "le fleur des pois." Despite the good advice of his two devoted friends, Maitre Mathias and Marsay, he asked, through the instrumentality of his great-aunt, Madame de Maulincour, for the hand of Natalie Evangelista in marriage, and obtained it.

After being wedded five years, he was divorced from his wife and sailed for Calcutta under the name of Camille, one of his mother's given names. [The Thirteen. The Ball at Sceaux. Lost Illusions. A Distinguished Provincial at Paris. A Marriage Settlement.]

MANERVILLE (Comtesse Paul de), wife of the preceding, born Mademoiselle Natalie Evangelista, non-lineal descendant of the Duke of Alva, related also to the Claes. Having been spoiled as a child, and being of a sharp, domineering nature, she robbed her husband without impoverishing him. She was a leader at Paris as well as at Bordeaux.

As the mistress of Felix de Vandenesse she disliked his dedication to a story, for in it he praised Madame de Mortsauf. Later, in company with Lady Dudley and Mesdames d'Espard, Charles de Vandernesse and de Listomere, she attempted to compromise the Comtesse Felix de Vandenesse, recently married, with Raoul Nathan. [A Marriage Settlement. The Lily of the Valley. A Daughter of Eve.]

MANETTE, under the Restoration at Clochegourde in Touraine, the Comtesse de Mortsauf's housekeeper, taking her mother's place in the care of her young master and mistress, Jacques and Madeleine de Mortsauf. [The Lily of the Valley.]

MANON. (See G.o.dard, Manon.)

MANON-LA-BLONDE, during the last years of the Restoration a Paris prost.i.tute, who fell violently in love with Theodore Calvi, became a receiver of stolen goods, brought to her by the companion of Jacques Collin, who committed murder also, at the time of the robbery; she thus became the indirect or involuntary cause of the Corsican's arrest. [Scenes from a Courtesan's Life.]

MANSEAU (Pere), tavern-keeper at Ech.e.l.les, a town in Savoie, gave aid to La Fosseuse, in her poverty, and sheltered this unfortunate woman in a barn. La Fosseuse became the protegee of Doctor Bena.s.sis. [The Country Doctor.]

MARANA (La), the last of a long series of prost.i.tutes bearing the same name; natural descendant of the Herouvilles. She was known to have had more than one distinguished lover: Mancini, the Duc de Lina, and a king of Naples. She was notorious in Venice, Milan and Naples. She had by Mancini one child, whom he acknowledged, Juana-Pepita-Maria, and had her reared in good morals by the Lagounias, who were under obligations to her. Upon going to seek her daughter in Tarragone, Spain, she surprised the girl in company with Montefiore, but scorned to take vengeance upon him. She accepted as husband of the young girl M. Diard, who had asked for her hand. In 1823, when she was dying in the hospital at Bordeaux, Marana once more saw her daughter, still virtuous, although unhappy. [The Hated Son. The Maranas.]

MARCAS (Zephirin), born about 1803 in a Bretagne family at Vitre. In after life he supported his parents who were in poor circ.u.mstances. He received a free education in a seminary, but had no inclination for the priesthood. Carrying hardly any money he went to Paris, in 1823 or 1824, and after studying with a lawyer became his chief clerk. Later he studied men and objects in five capitals: London, Berlin, Vienna, St. Petersburg and Constantinople. For five years he was a journalist, and reported the proceedings of the "Chambres." He often visited R. de la Palferine. With women he proved to be of the pa.s.sionate-timid kind.

With the head of a lion, and a strong voice, he was equal as an orator to Berryer, and the superior of M. Thiers. For a long time he supplied the political ability needed by a deputy who had become a minister, but, convinced of his disloyalty, he overthrew him, only to restore him for a short time. He once more entered into polemical controversy; saw the newspapers which had sparkled with his forceful, high-minded criticism die; and lived miserably upon a daily allowance of thirty sous, earned by copying for the Palais. Marcas lived at that time, 1836, in the garret of a furnished house on rue Corneille. His thankless debtor, become minister again, sought him anew. Had it not been for the hearty attention of his young neighbors, Rabourdin and Juste, who furnished him with some necessary clothing, and aided him at Humann's expense, Marcas would not have taken advantage of the new opportunity that was offered him. His new position lasted but a short time. The third fall of the government hastened that of Marcas. Lodged once more on rue Corneille he was taken with a nervous fever. The sickness increased and finally carried away this unrecognized genius.

Z. Marcas was buried in a common grave in Montparna.s.se cemetery, January, 1838. [A Prince of Bohemia. Z. Marcas.]

MARCHAND (Victor), son of a Parisian grocer, infantry-major during the campaign of 1808, a lover of Clara Leganes, to whom he was under obligation; tried, without success, to marry this girl of the Spanish n.o.bility, who preferred to suffer the most horrible of deaths, decapitation by the hand of her own brother. [El Verdugo.]

MARCHE-A-TERRE. (See Leroi, Pierre.)

MARCILLAC (Madame de). Thanks to some acquaintances of the old regime, whom she had kept, and to her relationship with the Rastignacs, with whom she lived quietly, she found the means of introducing to Claire de Beauseant, Chevalier de Rastignac, her well-beloved grand-nephew --about 1819. [Father Goriot.]

MARCOSINI (Count Andrea), born in 1807 at Milan; although an aristocrat he took temporary refuge in Paris as a liberal; a wealthy and handsome poet; took his period of exile in 1834 in good spirits.

He was received on terms of friendship by Mesdames d'Espard and Paul de Manerville. On the rue Froidmanteau he was constantly in pursuit of Marianina Gambara; at the Italian Giardini's "table-d'hote" he discussed musical topics and spoke of "Robert le Diable." For five years he kept Paolo Gambara's wife as his mistress; then he gave her up to marry an Italian dancer. [Gambara.]

MARECHAL, under the Restoration an attorney at Ville-aux-Fayes, Bourgogne, Montcornet's legal adviser, helped by his recommendation to have Sibilet appointed steward of Aigues in 1817. [The Peasantry.]

MARESCHAL, supervisor in the college of Vendome in 1811, when Louis Lambert became a student in this educational inst.i.tution. [Louis Lambert.]

MAREST (Frederic), born about 1802, son of a rich lumber-merchant's widow, cousin of Georges Marest; attorney's clerk in Paris, November, 1825; lover of Florentine Cabirolle, who was maintained by Cardot; made the acquaintance at Maitre Desroches' of Oscar Husson, and took him to a fete given by Mademoiselle Cabirolle on rue de Vendome, where his friend foolishly compromised himself. [A Start in Life.] Frederic Marest, in 1838, having become an examining magistrate in the public prosecutor's office in Paris, had to examine Auguste de Mergi, who was charged with having committed robbery to the detriment of Doctor Halpersohn. [The Seamy Side of History.] The following year, while acting as king's solicitor at Arcis-sur-Aube, Frederic Marest, still unmarried and very corpulent, became acquainted with Martener's sons, Goulard, Michu and Vinet, and visited the Beauvisage and Mallot families. [The Member for Arcis.]

MAREST (Georges), cousin of the preceding, son of the senior member of a large Parisian hardware establishment on rue Saint-Martin. He became, in 1822, the second clerk of a Parisian notary, Maitre A.

Crottat. He had then as a comrade in study and in pleasure Amaury Lupin. At this time Marest's vanity made itself absurdly apparent in Pierrotin's coach, which did service in the valley of Oise; he hoaxed Husson, amused Bridau and Lora, and vexed the Comte de Serizy. Three years later Georges Marest had become the chief clerk of Leopold Hannequin. He lost by debauchery a fortune amounting to thirty thousand francs a year, and died a plain insurance-broker. [The Peasantry. A Start in Life.]

MARGARITIS, of Italian origin, took up his residence in Vouvray in 1831, an old man of deranged mind, most eccentric of speech, and who pretended to be a vine-grower. He was induced by Vernier to hoax the famous traveler, Gaudissart, during a business trip of the latter.

[Gaudissart the Great.]

MARGARITIS (Madame), wife of the insane Margaritis. She kept him near her for the sake of economy, and made amends to the deceived Gaudissart. [Gaudissart the Great.]

MARGUERON, wealthy citizen of Beaumont-sur-Oise, under Louis XVIII., wished his son to be tax-collector of the district in which he himself owned the farm lying next to the property of Serizy at Presles, and which he had leased to Leger. [A Start in Life.]

MARIANNE, during the Restoration, servant of Sophie Gamard at Tours.

[The Vicar of Tours.]

MARIANNE, served with Gaucher in Michu's house, October, 1803, in the district of Arcis-sur-Aube, at Cinq-Cygne. She served her master with discretion and fidelity. [The Gondreville Mystery.]

MARIAST, owned No. 22 rue da la Montagne-Sainte-Genevieve, Paris, and let it to Messieurs of d'Espard during nearly the whole period of the Restoration. [The Commission in Lunacy.]

MARIE DES ANGES (Mere), born in 1762, Jacques Bricheteau's aunt, superior of the Ursuline convent at Arcis-sur-Aube, saved from the guillotine by Danton, had the fifth of April of each year observed with a ma.s.s in her nephew's behalf, and, under Louis Philippe, protected the descendant of a celebrated Revolutionist, Charles de Sallenauve; her influence gave him the position of deputy of the district. [The Member for Arcis.]

MARIETTE. (See G.o.deschal, Marie.)

MARIETTE, born in 1798; from 1817 in the service of the Wattevilles of Besancon; was under Louis Philippe, despite her extreme homeliness, and on account of the money she had saved, courted by Jerome, a servant of Albert Savarus. Mademoiselle de Watteville, who was in love with the lawyer, used Mariette and Jerome to her own advantage.

[Albert Savarus.]

MARIETTE, in 1816, cook in the employ of Mademoiselle Cormon, of Alencon; sometimes received advice from M. du Ronceret; an ordinary kitchen-maid in the same household, when her mistress became Madame du Bousquier. [Jealousies of a Country Town.]

MARIETTE, was in the employ of La Fosseuse, towards the end of the Restoration, in the village over which Bena.s.sis was mayor. [The Country Doctor.]

MARIGNY (d.u.c.h.esse de), much sought after in the Saint-Germain section; related to the Navarreins and the Grandlieus; a woman of experience and good at giving advice; real head of her house; died in 1819. [The Thirteen.]

MARIGNY[*] (De), son of the preceding, harebrained, but attractive, had an attachment for Madame Keller, a middle-cla.s.s lady of the Chaussee-d'Antin. [The Thirteen.]

[*] During the last century the Marignys owned, before the Verneuils, Rosembray, an estate where a great hunt brought together, 1829, Cadignan, Chaulieu, Ca.n.a.lis, Mignon, etc.

MARIN, in 1839, at Cinq-Cygne, in the district of Arcis-sur-Aube, first valet of Georges de Maufrigneuse and protector of Anicette. [The Member for Arcis.]

MARION of Arcis, grandson of a steward in the employ of Simeuse; brother-in-law of Madame Marion, born Giguet. He had the confidence of Malin, acquired for him the Gondreville property, and became a lawyer in Aube, then president of an Imperial court. [The Gondreville Mystery. The Member for Arcis.]

MARION, brother of the preceding and brother-in-law of Colonel Giguet, whose sister became his wife. Through Malin's influence, he became co-receiver-general of Aube, with Sibuelle as his colleague. [The Gondreville Mystery. The Member for Arcis.]

MARION (Madame), wife of the preceding, Colonel Giguet's sister. She was on intimate terms with Malin de Gondreville. After her husband's death she returned to her native country, Arcis, where her parlor was frequented by many guests. Under Louis Philippe, Madame Marion exerted her powers in behalf of Simon Giguet, the Colonel's son. [The Member for Arcis.]