"Even during her
husband's lifetime, people said she had shown herself grateful towards
Baron Hartmann, whose financial tips had proved very useful to them;
and later on, after her husband's death, the acquaintance had probably
continued, but always discreetly." Octave Mouret, having met her at
the house of a mutual friend, made love to her, chiefly with a view
to gaining Baron Hartmann's assistance through her influence. Madame
Desforges was extremely jealous when she learned of Mouret's affection
for Denise Baudu and the probability of his marrying her. In order to
injure him, she introduced Bouthemont to Baron Hartmann, who lent him
money to start an opposition establishment called "The Four Seasons." Au
Bonheur des Dames.
DESIR (VEUVE), an elderly woman who kept a ball-room known as
Bon-Joyeux. She called all the miners her children, and grew tender
at the thought of the flood of beer which she had poured out for them
during the last thirty years. She gave her ball-room to the miners to
hold a meeting during the strike, and when the police arrived to break
it up she held the door long enough to allow those present to escape.
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