ET (DESIREE), born 1844, daughter of Francois Mouret, and sister of
Octave and Serge. La Fortune des Rougon.

She was of feeble intellect, and when a girl of sixteen was still
mentally like a child of eight. When her mother fell under the influence
of Abbe Faujas, and began entirely to neglect her family, Francois
Mouret removed Desiree to the home of her old nurse, in whose custody
she remained. La Conquete de Plassans.

When her brother Serge was appointed priest of Les Artaud, she
accompanied him there. By that time she had grown to be a tall, handsome
girl, but her mind had never developed, and she was still like a young
child. Her love of animals had become a passion, and at her brother's
home she was able to indulge it to the fullest extent, and to her
complete happiness. La Faute de l'Abbe Mouret.

She accompanied her brother to Saint Eutrope, where he became cure,
and she continued innocent and healthy, like a happy young animal. Le
Docteur Pascal.

MOURET (FRANCOIS), born in 1817, son of Mouret and Ursule Macquart, his
wife. He got a situation in the business of his uncle, Pierre Rougon,
whose daughter Marthe he married in 1840. They had three children,
Octave, Serge, and Desiree. On the retirement of his uncle, Mouret
returned to Marseilles and established himself in business there. La
Fortune de Rougon.

During fifteen years of close application on the part of Mouret and his
wife, he made a fortune out of wines, oil, and almonds, and then retired
to Plassans, where he lived on his means, making an occasional deal in
wine or oil when a chance occurred. He was not on good terms with his
wife's relations, and placed himself politically in opposition to them
by supporting the Legitimist candidate, the Marquis de Lagrifoul. In
1858, having two vacant rooms in his house, he was induced by the Abbe
Bourrette to let them to Abbe Faujas, a priest who had been sent to
Plassans by the Government to undermine the existing clerical influence
there, which had been exercised in support of the Marquis de
Lagrifoul. Mouret was a man of narrow and restricted intellect, and his
peculiarities became more and more marked as the Abbe Faujas gradually
came to dominate the household and induce Madame Mouret to neglect her
husband and family for the service of the Church. By degrees Mouret
came to be regarded as insane, and his wife having had several epileptic
attacks, he was accused of having caused the injuries she had really