en
brought forward through the machinations of Abbe Faujas. Madame de
Condamin promised him, however, that through her influence he would be
rewarded with a prefecture. La Conquete de Plassans.

BOURDONCLE, the son of a poor farmer near Limoges, started at "The
Ladies' Paradise" at the same time as Octave Mouret. He was very active
and intelligent, but he lacked that touch of genius possessed by his
companion, before whom he had bowed from the first. Acting on Mouret's
advice, he put all his savings into the business, and, after passing
through the various grades, he became in time one of the six persons who
assisted Mouret to govern "The Ladies' Paradise," exercising a general
control of the whole staff. Au Bonheur des Dames.

BOURGAIN-DESFEUILLES (GENERAL). During the war of 1870 he was at the
head of a brigade of infantry, of which the 106th regiment of the
line, commanded by Colonel de Vineuil, formed part. Like so many other
officers he proved himself incompetent, and after the capitulation he,
alone among the generals, took advantage of the pretext of illness to
sign an undertaking to the Germans not to take any further part in the
war. La Debacle.

BOURGUIGNON, a master zinc-worker from whom Coupeau got employment.
L'Assommoir.

BOUROCHE (SURGEON-MAJOR), of the 106th regiment of the line, commanded
by Colonel Vineuil. During the battle of Sedan he installed an
ambulance in a factory belonging to Jules Delaherche, where he was soon
overwhelmed with work. With untiring energy he performed one operation
after another until the place became like a slaughter-house. Behind
a clump of trees were thrown the bodies of the dead, and the limbs
amputated from the living. Depressed for a moment by the vastness of his
task, Bouroche nearly lost heart, exclaiming, "What is the use?" but
his instincts of discipline recalled him to work, and he continued to
operate even after the supply of chloroform was exhausted. During
the insurrection at Paris he served with the army of Versailles, but
consented to treat one of his old soldiers, Maurice Levasseur, who had
been mortally wounded in the ranks of the Commune. La Debacle.

BOURRAS, an old man who sold umbrellas and walking-sticks in a
tumble-down house which adjoined "The Ladies' Paradise." His business
was ruined by the growth of that concern, and he expressed bitter hatred
towards Octave Mouret, its proprietor. Denise Baudu rented a room from
him after her dismissal from "