第195章 V(8)

VERVELLE (Antenor), an eccentric bourgeois of Paris, made his fortune in the cork business. Retiring from the trade, Vervelle became, in his own way, an amateur artist; wished to form a gallery of paintings, and believed that he was collecting Flemish specimens, works of Tenier, Metzu, and Rembrandt; employed Elie Magus to form the collection, and, with that Jew as go-between, married his daughter Virginie to Pierre Grassou. Vervelle, at that time, was living in a house of his own on the rue Boucherat, a part of the rue Saint-Louis (now rue de Turenne), near the rue Charlot. He also owned a cottage at Ville-d'Avray, in which the famous Flemish collection was stored--pictures really painted by Pierre Grassou. [Pierre Grassou.]

VERVELLE (Madame Antenor), wife of the preceding, gladly accepted Pierre Grassou for a son-in-law, as soon as she found out that Maitre Cardot was his notary. Madame Vervelle, however, was horrified at the idea of Joseph Bridau's bursting in Pierre's studio, and "touching up" the portrait of Mademoiselle Virginie, afterwards Madame Grassou.

[Pierre Grassou.]

VERVELLE (Virginie). (See Grassou, Madame Pierre.)

VEZE (Abbe de), a priest of Mortagne, during the Empire, administered the last sacrament to Madame Bryond des Tours-Minieres just before her execution in 1810; he was afterwards one of the Brothers of Consolation, installed in the home of the Baronne de la Chanterie on the rue Chanoinesse, Paris. [The Seamy Side of History.]

VIALLET, an excellent gendarme, appointed brigadier at Soulanges, Bourgogne; replaced Soudry, retired. [The Peasantry.]

VICTOIRE, in 1819, a servant of Charles Claparon, a banker on the rue de Provence, Paris; "a real Leonarde bedizened like a fish-huckster."

[Cesar Birotteau.]

VICTOR, otherwise known as the Parisian, a mysterious personage who lived in marital relations with the Marquis d'Aiglemont's eldest daughter, and made her the mother of several children. Victor, while dodging the pursuit of the police, who were on his track for the murder of Mauny, had found refuge for two hours in Versailles, on Christmas night of one of the last years of the Restoration, in a house near the Barriere de Montreuil (57, Avenue de Paris), with the parents of Helene d'Aiglemont, the last named of whom fled with him.

During Louis Philippe's reign, Victor was captain of the "Othello," a Colombian pirate, and lived very happily with his family--Mademoiselle d'Aiglemont and the children he had by her. He met with General d'Aiglemont, his mistress's father, who was at that time a passenger on board the "Saint-Ferdinand," and saved his life. Victor perished at sea in a shipwreck. [A Woman of Thirty.]

VICTORINE, a celebrated seamstress of Paris, had among her customers the Duchesse Cataneo, Louise de Chaulieu, and, probably, Madame de Bargeton. [Massimilla Doni. Lost Illusions. Letters of Two Brides.]

Her successors assumed and handed down her name; Victorine IV.'s "intelligent scissors" were praised in the latter part of Louis Philippe's reign, when Fritot sold Mistress Noswell the Selim shawl.

[Gaudissart II.]

VIDAL & PORCHON, book-sellers on commission, Quai des Augustins, Paris, in 1821. Lucien de Rubempre had an opportunity to judge of their method of doing business, when his "Archer of Charles IX." and a volume of poems were brutally refused by them. Vidal & Porchon had in stock at that time the works of Keratry, Arlincourt, and Victor Ducange. Vidal was a stout, blunt man, who traveled for the firm.

Porchon, colder and more diplomatic, seemed to have special charge of negotiations. [A Distinguished Provincial at Paris.]

VIEN (Joseph-Marie), a celebrated painter, born at Montpellier in 1716, died at Rome in 1809. In 1758, with Allegrain and Loutherbourg, he aided his friend Sarrasine in abducting Zambinella, with a view to taking him to the apartments of the sculptor, who was madly in love with the eunuch, believing him to be a woman. At a later period, Vien made for Madame de Lantry a copy of the statue modeled by Sarrasine after Zambinella, and it was from this picture of Vien's that Girodet, the signer of "Endymion," received his inspiration. This statue of Sarrasine's was, long afterwards, reproduced by the sculptor Dorlange-

Sallenauve. [Sarrasine. The Member for Arcis.]

VIEUX-CHAPEAU, a soldier in the Seventy-second demi-brigade; was killed in an engagement with the Chouans, in September, 1799. [The Chouans.]

VIGNEAU, of the commune of Isere, of which Benassis was creator, so to speak; he courageously took charge of an abandoned tile-factory, made a successful business of it, and lived with his family around him, which consisted of his mother, his mother-in-law, and his wife, who had formerly been in the service of the Graviers of Grenoble. [The Country Doctor.]

VIGNEAU (Madame), wife of the preceding, a perfect housekeeper; she received Genestas cordially, when brought to call by Benassis; Madame Vigneau was then on the point of becoming a mother. [The Country Doctor.]

VIGNOL (See Bouffe.)