Mme Mongruel

Identification (2026-10-21)

A Paris somnambule (clairvoyant in magnetic trance) whom Marie consults with Mme de Mouzay and her aunt on 17 July 1876 (063.0346). Marie describes the sleeper as «une Anglaise blonde et excessivement belle mais pas de la première jeunesse», put to sleep by a fat, ugly woman magnetiser (063.0348). The sleeper is the one Marie later calls Mongruel: the somnambule's «ce rival disparaît comme assassiné» (063.0364) is quoted next day as «— Un rival qui disparaît comme assassiné, a dit Mongruel» (063, 1876-07-18), and the seaside prophecy (063.0439) is recalled as «Mme Mongruel a ajouté…» (064, 1876-07-31).

A «madame Mongruel» published Les voix de l'avenir dans le présent et dans le passé, ou les Oracles et les somnambules comparés (Paris, Dentu, 1859; catalogue name Joséphine Mongruel; Wellcome Collection). That she is the same woman is likely but not proved (0.6). The edition's index has «Mongruel (M.), somnambule» (Mon Journal t.8, index, pp.284, 299, 341); the «M.» does not fit Marie's «Mme» and is probably a slip.

Relevance to Marie

The séance predicts that Cardinal Antonelli will become «presque roi», that Marie will marry Pietro at the end of the coming winter and be «millionnaire», and that Pietro will join her in a seaside town in early August (063.0345–063.0443). Marie half believes it («on croit ce qu'on désire», 063.0446). When the cardinal dies on 6 November 1876 she writes: «Comme rien ne s'est accompli de la prédiction de la Mongruel je n'en parlerai plus jamais» (067.1026, 1876-11-15).

References in Diary

• 1876-07-17 (063.0346): the séance
• 1876-07-18 (063): recalled, compared with Alexis
• 1876-07-31 (064.0366–064.0367): the «ville près de la mer» read as Petersburg
• 1876-11-15 (067.1026): the prophecy abandoned