第160章 R(10)

RONCERET (Madame Fabien du), born Josephine Schiltz in 1805, wife of the preceding, daughter of a colonel under the Empire; fatherless and motherless, at nine years of age she was sent to Saint-Denis by Napoleon in 1814, and remained in that educational institution, as assistant-mistress, until 1827. At this time Josephine Schiltz, who was a god-child of the Empress, began the adventurous life of a courtesan, after the example of some of her companions who were, like her, at the end of their patience. She now changed her name from Schiltz to Schontz, and she was also known under the assumed name of Little Aurelie. Animated, intelligent and pretty, after having sacrificed herself to true love, after having known "some poor but dishonorable writers," after having tried intimacy with several rich simpletons, she was met in a day of distress, at Valentino Mussard's, by Arthur de Rochefide, who loved her madly. Having been abandoned by his wife for two years, he lived with her in free union. This evil state of affairs existed until the time when Josephine Schiltz was married by Fabien du Ronceret. In order to have revenge on the Marquis de Rochefide for abandoning her, she gave him a peculiar disease, which she had made Fabien du Ronceret contract, and which also was conveyed to Calyste du Guenic. During her life as a courtesan, her rivals were Suzanne de Val-Noble, Fanny Beaupre, Mariette, Antonia, and Florine. She was intimate with Finot, Nathan, Claude Vignon, to whom she probably owed her critical mind, Bixiou, Leon de Lora, Victor de Vernisset, La Palferine, Gobeneim, Vermanton the cynical philosphoer, etc. She even hoped to marry one of these. In 1836 she lived on rue Flechier, and was the mistress of Lousteau, to whom she wished to marry Felicie Cardot, the notary's daughter. Later she belonged to Stidmann. In 1838 she was present at Josepha's house-warming on rue de la Ville-l'Eveque. In 1840, at the first performance at the Ambigu, she met Madame de la Baudraye, then Lousteau's mistress. Josephine Schiltz finally became the wife of President du Ronceret. [Beatrix. The Muse of the Department. Cousin Betty. The Unconscious Humorists.]

RONQUEROLLES (Marquis de), brother of Madame de Serizy; uncle of the Comtesse Laginska; one of "The Thirteen," and one of the most efficient governmental diplomats under Louis Philippe; next to the Prince de Talleyrand the shrewdest ambassador; was of great service to Marsay during his service as a minister; was sent to Russia in 1838 on a secret mission. Having lost his two children during the cholera scourge of 1832, he was left without a direct heir. He had been a deputy on the Right Centre under the Restoration, representing a department in Bourgogne, where he was proprietor of a forest and of a castle next to the Aigues in the commune of Blangy. When Gaubertin, the steward, was discharged by the Comte de Montcornet, Soudry spoke as follows: "Patience! We have Messieurs de Soulanges and de Ronquerolles." [The Imaginary Mistress. The Peasantry. Ursule Mirouet.] M. de Ronquerolles was an intimate friend of the Marquis d'Aiglemont; they even addressed each other familiarly as /thou/ instead of /you/. [A Woman of Thirty.] He alone knew of Marsay's first love and the name of "Charlotte's" husband. [Another Study of Woman.]

In 1820 the Marquis de Ronquerolles, while at a ball at the Elysee-

Bourbon, in the Duchesse de Berri's house, provoked Auguste de Maulincour, of whom Ferragus Bourignard had complained, to a duel.

Also, as a result of his membership in the Thirteen, Ronquerolles, along with Marsay, helped General de Montriveau abduct the Duchesse de Langeais from the convent of bare-footed Carmelites, where she had taken refuge. [The Thirteen.] In 1839 he was M. de Rhetore's second in a duel fought with Dorlange-Sallenauve, the sculptor, in connection with Marie Gaston. [The Member for Arcis.]

ROSALIE, rosy-cheeked and buxom, waiting-maid to Madame de Merret at Vendome; then, after the death of her mistress, servant employed by Madame Lepas, tavern-keeper in that town. She finally told Horace Bianchon the drama of La Grande Breteche and the misfortunes of the Merrets. [La Grande Breteche.]

ROSALIE, chambermaid to Madame Moreau at Presles in 1822. [A Start in Life.]

ROSE, maid in the service of Armande-Louise-Marie de Chaulieu in 1823, at the time when this young lady, having left the Carmelites of Blois, came to live with her father on the Boulevard des Invalides in Paris.

[Letters of Two Brides.]

ROSINA, an Italian from Messina, wife of a Piedmont gentleman, who was captain in the French army under the Empire; mistress of her husband's colonel. She died with her lover near Beresina in 1812, her jealous husband having set fire to the hut which she and the colonel were occupying. [Another Study of Woman.]

ROUBAUD, born about 1803 was declared doctor by the Paris medical school, a pupil of Desplein; practiced medicine at Montegnac, Haute-

Vienne, under Louis Philippe, small man of fair skin and very insipid appearance, but with gray eyes which betrayed the depth of a physiologist and the tenacity of a student. Roubaud was introduced to Madame Graslin by the Cure Bonnet, who was in despair at Roubaud's religious indifference. The young physician admired and secretly loved this celebrated Limousinese, and became converted suddenly to Catholicism on seeing the saintly death of Madame Graslin. When dying she made him head-physician in a hospital founded by her at the Tascherons near Montegnac. [The Country Parson.]