Z, a town of 55,000 inhabitants, is situated on the Moselle, about
263 miles east of Paris and about eighty miles south-east of Sedan. It
was surrendered to the Prussians on 27th October, 1870, and is now the
capital of German Lorraine. La Debacle.

MEZIERES, a small town of 7000 inhabitants, situated on a peninsula
formed by the Meuse about ten miles north-west of Sedan. Its situation
has prevented its extension, and the closely adjoining town of
Charleville has become its commercial and industrial quarter. Mezieres
was three times invested during the Franco-Prussian War, and surrendered
on 2nd January, 1871, after a bombardment of three days. La Debacle.

MICHODIERE (RUE), a street which connects the Boulevard des Capucines
and the Rue Neuve Saint-Augustin. At the corner where it joins the
latter street was situated Octave Mouret's great drapery establishment,
known as "Au Bonheur des Dames," and in it also Baudu carried on
business. The street is almost parallel to the Avenue de l'Opera. Au
Bonheur des Dames.

MOINES (RUE DES) was situated at Batignolles, in the extreme north-west
of Paris. Madame Lerat lived there. L'Assommoir.

MONCEAU (RUE), a street which runs northward from Rue du Faubourg St.
Honore. It is a short distance to the north-east of the Arc de Triomphe,
and in it was situated Aristide Saccard's magnificent mansion. La Curee.

MONTSOU, a mining village in the north of France, about ten kilometres
from Marchiennes (q.v.). It is the scene of many of the chief events in
Germinal.

ORLEANS, an important town situated on the Loire, seventy-five miles
south of Paris. It is referred to in La Terre and Nana.

PARADOU, the name of a neglected demesne near Plassans (q.v.). It was
the scene of a large part of La Faute de l'Abbe Mouret.

PLASSANS, the name under which Zola disguised his native town of Aix. It
is a place of about 30,000 inhabitants, and is situated eighteen miles
north of Marseilles. Aix was at one time the capital of Provence, is the
seat of an archbishop, and contains a university and an Ecole des Art et
Metiers.

In the Rougon-Macquart novels Zola made Plassans the cradle of an
imaginary family, and throughout the whole series of books the town is
constantly referred to. La Fortune des Rougon, etc.

RAUCOURT, a small town about six miles south of Sedan. It is frequently
referred to in La Debacle.

REIMS, an important town of 98,000 inhabitants, situated about 100 miles
to the north