. He drank enormous quantities of brandy, and was a
boon companion of Coupeau. On the occasion of Gervaise Coupeau's first
visit to the factory to see her son Etienne, Bec-Sale entered into a
contest of strength with Goujet in which he was beaten. L'Assommoir.

BECU, gamekeeper and bell-ringer at Rognes, was a man of fifty years of
age who had at one time been in the army. He was an intense Bonapartist,
and pretended that he had met the Emperor. Himself a confirmed
drunkard, he was on friendly terms with Hyacinthe Fouan, whose poaching
expeditions he overlooked. La Terre.

BECU (LA), wife of the preceding, was on intimate terms with Hyacinthe
Fouan. Her chief amusement was to throw Celine Macqueron and Flore
Lengaigne against one another under the pretext of reconciling them.
Though she was not devout, she made ardent intercessions to Heaven to
reserve for her son a lucky number in the drawing for the conscription,
but, after the event, turned her anger against the Deity because her
prayers had not been answered. La Terre.

BECU (DELPHIN), son of the preceding, was a strong lad who, on leaving
school, went to work as a farm labourer. He was much averse to leaving
home, and, having drawn an unlucky number for the conscription, he
chopped off with a cleaver the first finger of his right hand, in order
that he might be unfit for service. La Terre.

BECU (MICHEL), uncle of Delphin. He died at Orleans. La Terre.

BEDORE, a hosier in Rue Gaillon, whose business was ruined by the
extension of "The Ladies' Paradise." Au Bonheur des Dames.

BEJUIN (LEON), a Member of the Corps Legislatif, and a supporter of
Eugene Rougon. He was proprietor of the Saint-Florent Cut-Glass Works.
"A very worthy fellow, votes straight, never speaks, is very patient and
waits contentedly till you think of him, but he is always on the spot
to take care that you don't forget him." He received the Cross of the
Legion of Honour after Rougon's return to office, and an appointment as
Inspector. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

BEJUIN (MADAME), wife of the preceding. Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

BELLOMBRE, a neighbour of Doctor Pascal at La Souleiade. He was a
retired Professor, sixty-six years of age, who lived in his little house
with no other company than his gardener, a man as old and crabbed as
himself. His interests were solely centred in himself, and his egotism
was a constant subject of irritation with Doctor Pascal. Le Docteur
Pascal.

BE