th of her mother
in 1854, she was sent to live with Dr. Pascal Rougon, her uncle, who had
frequently offered to take her to enliven his silent scientific home. La
Curee.

At Plassans Clotilde lived a quiet healthy life, much of it spent in the
open air. She was not highly educated, but having considerable artistic
talent was able to assist Doctor Pascal by making illustrations for his
great work on heredity. At one period she developed strong religious
tendencies under the influence of Martine, the doctor's old servant,
who took her to church, and imbued the girl with her own bigoted ideas
regarding the salvation of Pascal. Her grandmother, Felicite Rougon,
who wished, for family reasons, to destroy Pascal's manuscripts on the
subject of heredity, played on Clotilde's feelings, and induced her to
assist in a search for the hated work. 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. La Fortune des Rougon.

During his early days in Paris Rougon resided at the Hotel Vanneau, kept
by Madame Correur, and while there he made the acquaintance of Gilquin
and Du Poizet, both of whom assisted him in spreading the Bonapartist
propaganda. By his exertions in this cause he established a claim for
reward, and he was appointed a member of the State Council, ultimately
becoming its Presiden