Source note

RONCERET (Madame Fabien du), born Josephine Schiltz in 1805, wife of the preceding, daughter of a colonel under the Empire; fatherless and motherless, at nine years of age she was sent to Saint-Denis by Napoleon in 1814, and remained in that educational institution, as assistant-mistress, until 1827. At this time Josephine Schiltz, who was a god-child of the Empress, began the adventurous life of a courtesan, after the example of some of her companions who were, like her, at the end of their patience. She now changed her name from Schiltz to Schontz, and she was also known under the assumed name of Little Aurelie. Animated, intelligent and pretty, after having sacrificed herself to true love, after having known "some poor but dishonorable writers," after having tried intimacy with several rich simpletons, she was met in a day of distress, at Valentino Mussard's, by Arthur de Rochefide, who loved her madly. Having been abandoned by his wife for two years, he lived with her in free union. This evil state of affairs existed until the time when Josephine Schiltz was married by Fabien du Ronceret. In order to have revenge on the Marquis de Rochefide for abandoning her, she gave him a peculiar disease, which she had made Fabien du Ronceret contract, and which also was conveyed to Calyste du Guenic. During her life as a courtesan, her rivals were Suzanne de Val-Noble, Fanny Beaupre, Mariette, Antonia, and Florine. She was intimate with Finot, Nathan, Claude Vignon, to whom she probably owed her critical mind, Bixiou, Leon de Lora, Victor de Vernisset, La Palferine, Gobeneim, Vermanton the cynical philosphoer, etc. She even hoped to marry one of these. In 1836 she lived on rue Flechier, and was the mistress of Lousteau, to whom she wished to marry Felicie Cardot, the notary's daughter. Later she belonged to Stidmann. In 1838 she was present at Josepha's house-warming on rue de la Ville-l'Eveque. In 1840, at the first performance at the Ambigu, she met Madame de la Baudraye, then Lousteau's mistress. Josephine Schiltz finally became the wife of President du Ronceret. [Beatrix. The Muse of the Department. Cousin Betty. The Unconscious Humorists.]