Repertory of the Comedie Humaine, part 2 | Page 9

forms of government; the request for the return of
his toothbrush, then in the possession of a deserted mistress, Antonia
Chocardelle; his relations with Madame du Bruel, whom he laid siege
to, won, and neglected--a yielding puppet, of whom, strange to say, he
broke the heart and made the fortune. He lived at that time in the Roule
addition, in a plain garret, where he was in the habit of receiving
Zephirin Marcas. The wretchedness of his quarters did not keep La
Palferine out of the best society, and he was the guest of Josepha Mirah
at the first entertainment given in her house on rue de la Ville-l'Eveque.
By a strange order of events, Comte Rusticoli became Beatrix de
Rochefide's lover, a few years after the events just narrated, at a time
when the Debats published a novel by him which was spoken of far and
wide. Nathan laid the foundation for this affair. Trailles,
Charles-Edouard's master, carried on the negotiations and brought the
intrigue to a consummation, being urged on by the Abbe Brossette's
assent and the Duchesse de Grandlieu's request. La Palferine's liaison
with Madame de Rochefide effected a reconciliation between Calyste
du Guenic and his wife. In the course of time, however, Comte
Rusticoli deserted Beatrix and sent her back to her husband, Arthur de
Rochefide. During the winter of 1842 La Palferine was attracted to
Madame de Laginska, had some meetings with her, but failed in this
affair through the intervention of Thaddee Paz. [A Prince of Bohemia.
A Man of Business. Cousin Betty. Beatrix. The Imaginary Mistress.]
LA PEYRADE (Charles-Marie-Theodose de), born near Avignon in
1813, one of eleven children of the police-agent Peyrade's youngest
brother, who lived in poverty on a small estate called Canquoelle; a
bold Southerner of fair skin; given to reflection; ambitious, tactful and
astute. In 1829 he left the department of Vaucluse and went to Paris on
foot in search of Peyrade who, he had reason to believe, was wealthy,
but of whose business he was ignorant. Theodose departed through the
Barriere d'Enfer, which has been destroyed since 1860, at the moment
when Jacques Collin murdered his uncle. At that time he entered a

house of ill-fame, where he had unwittingly for mistress Lydie Peyrade,
his full-blooded cousin. Theodose then lived for three years on a
hundred louis which Corentin had secretly given to him. On giving him
the money, the national chief of police quietly advised him to become
an attorney. Journalism, however, at first, seemed a tempting career to
M. de la Peyrade, and he went into politics, finally becoming editor of a
paper managed by Cerizet. The failure of this journal left Theodose
once more very poor. Nevertheless, through Corentin, who secretly
paid the expenses of his studies, he was able to begin and continue a
course in law. Once licensed, M. de la Peyrade became a barrister and
professing to be entirely converted to Socialism, he freely pleaded the
cause of the poor before the magistrate of the eleventh or twelfth
district. He occupied the third story of the Thuillier house on rue
Saint-Dominique-d'Enfer. He fell into the hands of Dutocq and Cerizet
and suffered under the pressure of these grasping creditors. Theodose
now decided that he would marry M. Thuillier's natural daughter,
Mademoiselle Celeste Colleville, but, with Felix Phellion's love to
contend with, despite the combined support, gained with difficulty, of
Madame Colleville and of M. and Mademoiselle Thuillier, he failed
through Corentin's circumvention. His marriage with Lydie Peyrade
repaired the wrong which he had formerly done unwittingly. As
successor to Corentin he became national chief-of-police in 1840.
[Scenes from a Courtesan's Life. The Middle Classes.]
LA PEYRADE (Madame de), first cousin and wife of the preceding,
born Lydie Peyrade in 1810, natural daughter of the police officer
Peyrade and of Mademoiselle Beaumesnil; passed her childhood
successively in Holland and in Paris, on rue des Moineaux, whence,
Jacques Collin, thirsting for revenge, abducted her during the
Restoration. Being somewhat in love, at that time, with Lucien de
Rubempre she was taken to a house of ill-fame, Peyrade being at the
time very ill. Upon her departure she was insane. Her own cousin,
Theodose de la Peyrade, had been her lover there, fortuitously and
without dreaming that they were blood relatives. Corentin adopted this
insane girl, who was a talented musician and singer, and at his home on
rue Honore-Chevalier, in 1840, he arranged for both the cure and the
marriage of his ward. [Scenes from a Courtesan's Life. The Middle
Classes.]

LA POURAILLE, usual surname of Dannepont.
LARAVINIERE, tavern-keeper in Western France, lodged "brigands"
who had armed themselves as Royalists under the first Empire. He was
condemned, either by Bourlac or Mergi, to five years in prison. [The
Seamy Side of History.]
LARDOT (Madame), born in