Complete Works of Emile Zola (1904 page)

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 Titreville’s artificial flower-making establishment. L’Assommoir.

SOPHIE, an old waiting-maid in the service of the Duchesse 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 Massacre, 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 noble 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 accumulation 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 Plassans. 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 passed millions. He spent vast sums upon Rose Mignon and Nana. Nana.

STERNICH (DUCHESSE 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 Plassans, 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 Plassans.

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 Passage Choiseul, and was so seriously affected by the competition of Octave Mouret’s great store that she became bankrupt. Au Bonheur des Dames.

TARDIVEAU (BARON DE), a character in
La Petite Duchesse
, 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 Mass 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’Assommoir.

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’Assommoir.

THOMAS (ANSELME), a journeyman saddler at Plassans. 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.

TITREVILLE (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’Assommoir.

TOUCHE (M.), a townsman of Plassans who expressed disbelief in the success of the
Coup d’Etat
. La Fortune des Rougon.

TOUCHE, an Attorney’s clerk at Plassans. He married Sidonie Rougon in 1838, and went with her to Paris, where he started business as a dealer in the products of the South. He was not very successful, and died in 1850. La Curee.

TOURMAL (LES), a family who resided at Bonneville and lived chiefly by smuggling and stealing. The father and grandfather were sent to prison, and the daughter, when shown kindness by Pauline Quenu, rewarded her by attempting to steal such small articles of value as she could conceal. La Joie de Vivre.

TOUTIN-LAROCHE (M.), a retired candle-manufacturer; now a municipal councillor, and a director of the Credit Viticole, the Societe Generale of the Ports of Morocco, and other companies of doubtful standing. His ambition was to enter the Senate, and he clung to Baron Gauraud and Saccard in the belief that they could assist him. La Curee.

TRICON (LA), a well-known procuress, who numbered Nana among her clients. She had a passion for racing, and at the Grand Prix seemed to dominate the crowd.

TROMPETTE, one of the horses in the Voreux pit. It only lived a few months after being taken underground. Germinal.

TRON, a labourer in the farm of La Borderie. He was one of Jacqueline Cognet’s lovers, and exhibited jealousy amounting to insanity regarding her. Having been dismissed by his master, he opened a trap-door through which Hourdequin fell and was killed. When he found that Jacqueline would not forgive him for this stupid murder, which ruined her prospects, he set fire to the farm buildings. La Terre.

TROUCHE (HONORE), brother-in-law of Abbe Faujas. Having been unsuccessful in business at Besancon, he followed Faujas to Plassans, where he went with his wife to live in rooms rented by the Abbe from Francois Mouret. He was of bad character and quite unscrupulous, but by the influence of Faujas he was appointed Secretary to the Girls’ Home started by Madame Mouret and other ladies of Plassans. Having got a footing in the Mourets’ house, he soon began to take advantage of his position, and little by little got possession of the whole premises. He did all he could to encourage the idea of Francois Mouret’s madness, and after the unfortunate man’s removal to the asylum was able with greater ease to carry out his schemes. Mouret having ultimately escaped from the asylum, returned to his home and set it on fire; Trouche perished in the flames. La Conquete de Plassans.

TROUCHE (MADAME OLYMPE), wife of the preceding, and sister of Abbe Faujas. She accompanied her husband to Plassans, and contributed largely to the ruin of the Mouret family. Utterly heartless, she stopped at nothing, robbing Madame Mouret of money, clothing, everything that came within her power. Nemesis came with the return of Francois Mouret, who set fire to his house, causing the death of Madame Trouche as well as that of her husband. La Conquete de Plassans.

TROUILLE (LA), the nickname of Olympe Fouan. La Terre.

TRUBLOT (HECTOR), a young man whom Madame Josserand hoped at one time to secure as a husband for her daughter. He had, however, no thoughts of marriage, and as he was averse to any risk of complications, his habit was to select his female friends from among the maid-servants of his acquaintances. He was employed as correspondent in the office of Monsieur Desmarquay, a money-changer. Pot-Bouille.

V

VABRE, a notary of Versailles who retired to Paris with a fortune, part of which he invested in the house in Rue de Choiseul occupied by the Duveyriers, the Josserands, and others. He had unfortunately a hidden passion for gambling in stocks and shares, and when he died it was found that his whole fortune had been dissipated, even his house being heavily mortgaged. Pot-Bouille.

VABRE (AUGUSTE), eldest son of M. Vabre, carried on a silk merchant’s business in part of the premises which belonged to his father. He married Berthe Josserand, but as he suffered much from neuralgia, and was, in addition, of a niggardly disposition, the marriage was not a happy one. An intrigue between Madame Vabre and Octave Mouret followed, and on its discovery she returned to her parents. For a considerable time Vabre refused to forgive his wife, but a reconciliation was ultimately brought about through the intervention of Abbe Mauduit. Vabre’s fortunes were adversely affected by the extension of Madame Hedouin’s business, known as “The Ladies’ Paradise.” Pot-Bouille.

The rapid success of Octave Mouret’s business led to the ruin of Vabre, a result to which the extravagance of his wife also contributed. Au Bonheur des Dames.

VABRE (MADAME AUGUSTE), wife of the preceding. See Berthe Josserand. Pot-Bouille.

VABRE (CAMILLE), son of Theophile Vabre and his wife Valerie Louhette. Pot-Bouille.

VABRE (CLOTILDE), daughter of Vabre the notary, and wife of Duveyrier. She did not get on well with her husband, whom she hated, and her only passion was for music, which she practised to an inordinate extent. Pot-Bouille.

VABRE (THEOPHILE), second son of M. Vabre, “a little old man of twenty-eight, a victim to coughs and toothache, who first tried all sorts of trades and then married the daughter of a neighbouring haberdasher.” His life was shadowed by suspicions of his wife, with whom he constantly quarrelled. He was with difficulty prevented from making a scene at the marriage of his brother Auguste to Berthe Josserand. Pot-Bouille.

VABRE (MADAME VALERIE), wife of the preceding, nee Louhette, was the daughter of a wealthy haberdasher. She did not get on well with her husband, who accused her, not entirely without reason, of carrying on a liaison with some one whose name he was unable to discover. Pot-Bouille.