DU POIZAT (LEOPOLD), son of a process-server at Coulonges, a little town in the district of Niort.  His father, who had amassed a considerable fortune by usury, sent him to study law in Paris, giving him an allowance of only a hundred francs a month.  Some months before the revolution of February, 1848, he became acquainted with Eugene Rougon, who, like himself, was boarding at that time with Madame Correur at the Hotel Vanneau.  During the Bonapartist intrigues he assisted Rougon in some risky undertakings, and later on worked energetically to secure his election to the Legislative Assembly as member for Deux-Sevres.  After the Coup d’Etat Rougon used his influence on behalf of Du Poizat, and got him appointed sub-prefect at Bressuire.  He resigned this appointment on the advice of Rougon after the resignation of the latter as President of the State Council.  After Rougon’s return to office he was appointed prefect at Niort.  His extreme harshness and overbearing conduct produced a public scandal, and the sudden death of his father, under peculiar circumstances, still further increased his unpopularity.  He was at his own request transferred to another prefecture by Delestang, who succeeded Rougon as Minister of the Interior.  Son Excellence Eugene Rougon.

DURIEU, a wealthy brewer who, carried away by the charm of Caroline Hamelin, married her.  He became an alcoholic maniac, and on one occasion pursued his wife with a knife.  A separation was arranged, and Durieu ultimately died in an asylum.  L’Argent.

DURIEU (MADAME).  See Caroline Hamelin.

DURIEU (LE PERE), a messenger at Plassans.  He was a taciturn old
Provencal.  Le Docteur Pascal.

DUTILLEUL.  A flour-miller at Montsou whose mills were stopped by the strike.  Germinal.

DUVEYRIER (ALPHONSE), a counsellor at the Court of Appeal; married Clotilde, daughter of M. Vabre.  He was a man of dissolute habits, to whom his wife’s cold nature and love of music were repugnant, and he spent much of his time away from home.  He squandered large sums of money on a woman named Clarisse Bocquet, who afterwards left him.  Having found her again, he fell under her influence so completely as to allow her to treat him abominably.  So unhappy did he become, that he attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself; the wound was, however, not a serious one, and he recovered.  Pot-Bouille.

DUVEYRIER (MADAME CLOTILDE), wife of the preceding, was the only daughter of M. Vabre, a notary of Versailles.  She did not get on well with her husband, who found her cold nature irksome, and, perhaps even more so, her love of piano-playing.  Her musical evenings were attended by Octave Mouret, the Josserands, and others of the same circle.  Pot-Bouille.

DUVEYRIER (GUSTAVE), son of the preceding, a thin, precocious boy of sixteen, who was being educated at the Lycee Bonaparte.  Pot-Bouille.

DUVILLARD, the owner of a large house bought by Octave Mouret for the enlargement of his shop.  Au Bonheur des Dames.