Rougon surprised them in the act,
and subsequently laid bare to Clotilde the whole facts of the terrible
family history. In time the mysticism of the Church gave place to
passionate love between Clotilde and Pascal. The doctor felt, however,
that she was sacrificing her youth for him, and sent her to Paris to
live with her brother Maxime. Soon afterwards, Pascal became ill, and
died before she was able to return. A child was born some months later.
Le Docteur Pascal.
ROUGON (EUGENE), born 1811, eldest son of Pierre Rougon, was educated at
Plassans and Paris, and was called to the Bar. He practised in the
local Court for a number of years, but with little success. Though of
lethargic appearance, he was a man of ability, who "cherished lofty
ambitions, possessed domineering instincts, and showed a singular
contempt for trifling expedients and small fortunes." With the
Revolution of February, 1848, Eugene felt that his opportunity had come,
and he left for Paris with scarcely five hundred francs in his pocket.
He was able to give his parents early information of the designs of the
Bonapartes, and so prepared the way for the events of the _Coup d'Etat_
of 1851, when the family fortunes were made.
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