Repertory of the Comedie Humaine Part 2 | Page 7

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 1771, lived in Alencon in 1816 on rue du Cours--a street still bearing the same name. She was a laundress, and took as boarders a relative named Grevin and the Chevalier de Valois. She had among her employes Cesarine and Suzanne, afterwards Madame Theodore Gaillard. [Jealousies of a Country Town.]
LAROCHE, born in 1763 at Blangy in Bourgogne, was, in 1823, an aged vine-dresser, who felt a calm, relentless hatred for the rich, especially the Montcornets, occupants of Aigues. [The Peasantry.]
LA ROCHE (Sebastien de), born early in the nineteenth century, was probably the son of an unpretentious, retired Treasury clerk. In December, 1824, he found himself in Paris, poor, but capable and zealous, as a supernumerary in the office of Xavier Rabourdin of the Department of Finance. He lived with his widowed mother in the busiest part of Marais on rue du Roi-Dore. M. and Madame Rabourdin received and gave him assistance by preparing a copy of a rare and mysterious government work. The discovery of this book by Dutocq unfortunately resulted in the discharge of both chief and clerk. [The Government Clerks.]
LA ROCHE-GUYON (De), the eldest of one of the oldest families in the section of Orne, at one time connected with the Esgrignons, who visited them frequently. In 1805 he sued vainly, through Maitre Chesnel, for the hand of Armande d'Esgrignon. [Jealousies of a Country Town.]
LA ROCHE-HUGON (Martial de), shrewd, turbulent and daring Southerner, had a long and brilliant administrative career in politics. Even in 1809 the Council of State employed him as one of the masters of petitions. Napoleon Bonaparte was patron of this young Provencal. Also, in November of the same year, Martial was invited to the fete given by Malin de Gondreville--a celebration which the Emperor was vainly expected to attend. Montcornet was present, also the Duchesse de Lansac, who succeeded in bringing about a reconciliation between her nephew and niece, M. and Madame de Soulanges. M. de la Roche-Hugon's mistress, Madame de Vaudremont, was also in attendance at this