Part 45

WERBRUST, associated with Palma, Parisian discounter on rue Saint- Denis and rue Saint-Martin, during the Restoration; knew the story of the glory and decay of Cesar Birotteau, the perfumer, who was mayor of the second district; was the friend of the banker, Jean-Baptiste d'Aldrigger, at whose burial he was present; carried on business with the Baron de Nucingen, making a shrewd speculation when the latter settled for the third time with his creditors in 1836. [Cesar Birotteau. The Firm of Nucingen.]

WERCHAUFFEN (Baron de), one of Schirmer's aliases. (See Schirmer.)

WIERZCHOWNIA (Adam de), Polish gentleman, who, after the last division of Poland, found refuge in Sweden, where he sought consolation in the study of chemistry, a study for which he had always felt a strong liking. Poverty compelled him to give up his study, and he joined the French army. In 1809, while on the way to Douai, he was quartered for one night with M. Balthazar Claes. During a conversation with his host, he explained to him his ideas on the subject of "identity of matter" and the absolute, thus bringing misfortune on a whole family, for from that moment Balthazar Claes devoted time and money to this quest of the absolute. Adam de Wierzchownia, while dying at Dresden, in 1812, of a wound received during the last wars, wrote a final letter to Balthazar Claes, informing him of the different thoughts relative to the search in question, which had been in his mind since their first meeting. By this writing, he increased the misfortunes of the Claes family. Adam de Wierzchownia had an angular wasted countenance, large head which was bald, eyes like tongues of fire, a large mustache. His calmness of manner frightened Madame Balthazar Claes.[*] [The Quest of the Absolute.]

[*] Under the title of _Gold, or the Dream of a Savant_, there is a play by Bayard and Bieville, which presents the misfortunes of the Claes. This was given at the Gymnase, November 11, 1837, by M. Bouffe and Madame E. Sauvage, both of whom are still alive.

WILLEMSENS (Marie-Augusta). (See Brandon,[*] Comtesse de.)

[*] Lady Brandon was the mother of Louis Gaston and Marie Gaston.

WIMPHEN (De), married a friend of Madame d'Aiglemont's childhood. [A Woman of Thirty.]

WIMPHEN (Madame Louisa de), childhood friend of Madame Julie d'Aiglemont in school at Ecouen. In 1814, Madame d'Aiglemont wrote to the companion, who was then on the point of marrying, of her own disillusionment, and confidentially advised her to remain single. This letter, however, was not sent, for the Comtesse de Listomere-Landon, aunt of Julie d'Aiglemont by marriage, having found out about it, discouraged such an impropriety on the part of her niece. Unlike her friend, Madame de Wimphen married happily. She retained the confidence of Madame d'Aiglemont, and was present, indeed, at the important interview between Julie and Lord Grenville. After M. de Wimphen's arrival to accompany his wife home, these two lovers were left alone, until the unexpected arrival of M. d'Aiglemont made it necessary for Lord Grenville to conceal himself. The Englishman died shortly after this as a result of the night's exposure, when he was obliged to stay in the cold on the outside of a window-sill. This happened also immediately after his fingers were bruised by a rapidly closed door. [A Woman of Thirty.]

WIRTH, valet of the banker, J.-B. d'Aldrigger; remained in the service of Mesdames d'Aldrigger, mother and daughters, after the death of the head of the family. He showed them the same devotion, of which he had often given proof. Wirth was a kind of Alsatian Caleb or Gaspard, aged and serious, but with much of the cunning mingled with his simple nature. Seeing in Godefroid de Beaudenord a good husband for Isaure d'Aldrigger, he was able to entrap him easily, and thus was partly responsible for their marriage. [The Firm of Nucingen.]

WISCH (Johann). Fictitious name given in a newspaper for Johann Fischer, when he had been accused of peculation. [Cousin Betty.]

WISSEMBOURG (Prince de), one of the titles of Marechal Cottin, the Duc d'Orfano. [Cousin Betty.]

WITSCHNAU. (See Gaudin.)

X

XIMEUSE, fief situated in Lorraine; original spelling of the name Simeuse, which came to to be written with an S on account of its pronunciation. [The Gondreville Mystery.]

Y

YSEMBOURG (Prince d'), marshal of France, the Conde of the Republic. Madame Nourrisson, his confidential servant, looked upon him as a "simpleton," because he gave two thousand francs to one of the most renowned countesses of the Imperial Court, who came to him one day, with streaming eyes, begging him to give her the assistance upon which her children's life depended. She soon spent the money for a robe, which she needed to wear so as to be dressed stylishly at an embassy ball. This story was told by Madame Nourrisson, in 1845, to Leon de Lora, Bixiou, and Gazonal. [The Unconscious Humorists.]

Z

ZAMBINELLA, a eunuch, who sang at the Theatre Argentina, Rome, the leading soprano parts; he was very beautiful. Sarassine, a French sculptor, believing him to be a woman, became enamored of him, and used him as a model for an excellent statue of Adonis, which may still be seen at the Musee d'Albani, and which Dorlange-Sallenauve copied nearly a century later. When he was over eighty years old and very wealthy, Zambinella lived, under the Restoration, with his niece, who was wife of the mysterious Lanty. While residing with the Lantys Zambinella died in Rome, 1830. The early life of Zambinella was unknown to the Parisian world. A mesmerist believed the old man, who was a sort of traveling mummy, to be the famous Balsamo, also known as Cagliostro, while the Bailli de Ferette took him to be the Comte de Saint-Germain. [Sarrasine. The Member for Arcis.]

ZARNOWICKI (Roman[*]), Polish general who, as a refugee in Paris, lived on the ground floor of the little two-story house on rue de Marbeuf, of which Doctor Halpersohn occupied the other floor in 1836. [The Seamy Side of History.]

[*] Probably a given name.

NOTE.

The _Repertory of the Comedie Humaine_, as the reader can see for himself, should include only those episodes introducing characters inter-related and continually recurring. Consequently, the stories entitled _The Exiles_, _About Catherine de Medici_, _Maitre Cornelius_, _The Unknown Masterpiece_, _The Elixir of Life_, _Christ in Flanders_, which antedate the eighteenth century, and _Seraphita_, which deals with the supernatural, are omitted, together with the _Analytical Studies_. But _The Hated Son_ furnishes some indispensable information concerning a few biographies. The _Dramas_ are outside the

## action of the _Comedie_, so contribute no names.

According to Theophile Gautier, _The Comedie Humaine_ embraces two thousand characters. His reckoning is nearly exact; but as a result of cross-references, surnames, assumed names and the like, that number is far exceeded in this work, which, nevertheless, omits many characters outside the action, as: Chevet, Decamps, Delacroix, Finot Sr., the child of Calyste and Sabine du Guenic, Noemi Magus, Meyerbeer, Herbaut, Houbigant, Tanrade, Mousqueton, Arnal, Barrot, Bonald, Berryer, Gautier, Gozlan, Hugo, Hyacinthe, Lafont, Lamartine, Lassailly, F. Lemaitre, Charles X., Louis Philippe, Odry, Talma, Thiers, Villele, Rossini, Rousseau, Mlle. Dejazet, Mlle. Georges, etc.