DESROCHES (Madame), wife of the preceding.  A widow, in 1826, she sought the hand of Mlle. Matifat for her son, Desroches the attorney. [The Firm of Nucingen.]

DESROCHES, son of the two foregoing; born about 1795, reared strictly by a very harsh father.  He went into Derville’s office as fourth clerk in 1818, and on the following year passed to the second clerkship.  He saw Colonel Chabert at Derville’s.  In 1821 or 1822 he purchased a lawyer’s office with bare title on rue de Bethizy.  He was shrewd and quick and therefore was not long in finding a clientele composed of litterateurs, artists, actresses, famous lorettes and elegant Bohemians.  He was counsellor for Agathe and Joseph Bridau, and also gave excellent advice to Philippe Bridau who was setting out for Issoudun about 1822. [A Bachelor’s Establishment.  Colonel Chabert.  A Start in Life.] Desroches was advocate for Charles de Vandenesse, pleading against his brother Felix; for the Marquise d’Espard, seeking interdiction against her husband; and for the Secretary-General Chardin des Lupeaulx, with whom he counseled astutely. [A Woman of Thirty.  The Commission in Lunacy.  The Government Clerks.] Lucien de Rubempre consulted Desroches about the seizure of the furniture of Coralie, his mistress, in 1822. [A Distinguished Provincial at Paris.] Vautrin appreciated the attorney; he said that the latter would be able to “recover” the Rubempre property, to improve it and make it capable of yielding Lucien an income of thirty thousand francs, which would probably have allowed him to wed Clotilde de Grandlieu. [Scenes from a Courtesan’s Life.] In 1826 Desroches made a short-lived attempt to marry Malvina d’Aldrigger. [The Firm of Nucingen.] About 1840 he related, at Mlle. Turquet’s—­Malaga’s—­home, then maintained by Cardot the notary, and in the presence of Bixiou, Lousteau and Nathan, who were invited by the tabellion, the tricks employed by Cerizet to obtain the face value of a note out of Maxime de Trailles. [A Man of Business.] Indeed, Desroches was Cerizet’s lawyer when the latter had a quarrel with Theodose de la Peyrade in 1840.  He also looked after the interests of the contractor, Sauvaignou, at the same time. [The Middle Classes.] Desroches’ office was probably located for a time on rue de Buci. [A Bachelor’s Establishment.]

DESROYS, clerk with the Minister of Finance in Baudoyer’s bureau, under the Restoration.  The son of a Conventionalist who had not favored the King’s death.  A Republican; friend of Michel Chrestien.  He did not associate with any of his colleagues, but kept his manner of life so concealed that none knew where he lived.  In December, 1824, he was discharged because of his opinions concerning the denunciation of Dutocq. [The Government Clerks.]

DESROZIERS, musician; prize-winner at Rome; died in that city through typhoid fever in 1836.  Friend of the sculptor Dorlange, to whom he recounted the story of Zambinella, the death of Sarrasine and the marriage of the Count of Lanty.  Desroziers gave music lessons to Marianina, daughter of the count.  The musician employed his friend, who was momentarily in need of money, to undertake a copy of a statue of Adonis, which reproduced Zambinella’s features.  This copy he sold to M. de Lanty. [The Member for Arcis.]