CECILE (MADEMOISELLE), daughter of a butcher in the neighbourhood of the Halles Centrales.  Le Ventre de Paris.

CELESTE, lady’s maid and confidante of Madame Renee Saccard.  La Curee.

CELESTINE, a friend of Clemence.  She was neurotic, and had a horror of the hair of cats, seeing it everywhere, and even turning her tongue in the belief that some of it had got into her mouth.  L’Assommoir.

CESAR, a bull at the farm of La Borderie.  La Terre.

CHADEUIL (MADAME), a milliner in the Rue Sainte-Anne.  Octave Mouret’s shop, “The Ladies’ Paradise,” ruined her within two years.  Au Bonheur des Dames.

CHAINE, the companion of Mahoudeau, the sculptor.  He was born at Saint-Firmin, a village about six miles from Plassans, where he served as a cowboy until he was drawn in the conscription.  Unfortunately for him, a gentleman of the district who admired the walking-stick handles which he carved out of roots with his knife, persuaded Chaine that he was a rustic genius, and with extreme foolishness persuaded him to go in for painting.  Having forty pounds, he went to Paris, where his small fortune lasted him for a year.  Then, as he had only twenty francs left, he took up his quarters with his friend Mahoudeau.  He had no talent, but had a certain skill in copying pictures with extreme exactness.  The relations of Chaine and Mahoudeau with Mathilde Jabouille led to a coldness between the two friends, and ultimately they ceased to be on speaking terms, though they continued to live together, and even to sleep in the same bed.  Some time afterwards Chaine gave up art, and started a booth at country fairs, in which he ran a wheel-of-fortune for trifling prizes.  The booth was decorated with some of his alleged masterpieces.  L’Oeuvre.

CHAMBOUVARD, a celebrated sculptor.  He was said to be the son of a veterinary surgeon of Amiens, and at forty-five had already produced twenty masterpieces.  He had, however, a complete lack of critical acumen, and was unable to distinguish between the most glorious offspring of his hands and the detestably grotesque figures which he happened to put together now and then.  At one Salon he exhibited a Sower, admirable in every way, while at another he showed an execrable Reaping Woman, so bad that it seemed like a hoax; but he was no less pleased with the later work, feeling sure that he had turned out yet another masterpiece.  L’Oeuvre.

CHAMPION, a master hatter at Montrouge.  Auguste Lantier pretended to have left his employment because they had not the same political views.  L’Assommoir.

CHAMPION, a retired sergeant, who was afterwards delivery manager at “The Ladies’ Paradise.”  Au Bonheur des Dames.

CHANTEAU PERE, came originally from the south of France, beginning his life as a journeyman carpenter.  He created a considerable timber business at Caen, but being somewhat daring in his speculation, he left it rather embarrassed at the time of his death.  La Joie de Vivre.