ROUGON (CLOTILDE), born 1847, daughter of Aristide Rougon, accompanied her father and mother to Paris in 1852.  After the death 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 President.  He fell into disfavour, however, with the Court on account of his opposition to a claim for two million francs by a distant relative of the Empress Eugenie.  Finding that his position was insecure, he tendered his resignation to the Emperor, who accepted it.  About this time he met Clorinde Balbi, an Italian adventuress, who endeavoured to induce him to marry her.  Carried away for the