The Ladies’ Paradise: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

In September, Baron’s company sells the property to Mouret, and construction starts on the new entrance for the Ladies’ Paradise. One day in the ladieswear department, Clara makes fun of the Baudus. She recently found out that Colomban has a crush on her, and she jokes about stealing him from his fiancée just for fun. Denise is upset, but commands Clara to get back to work. Clara obeys, unable to resist Denise’s calm authority.

Pauline comes by and notices that Denise is losing her temper. Denise explains that she can’t manage the girls, but Pauline says that Denise can be queen over whomever she wants. Pauline can’t understand why Denise refused Mouret. She recently married Baugé, and Bourdoncle—who believes that love is a threat to business—is threatening to fire them both. Jouve comes by, suspicious of Pauline, but goes away when he sees Denise. Pauline goes back to her department.

The “reign” of Denise has begun. Bourdoncle—who hates women and beats all his mistresses—feels that if Denise had accepted Mouret, Mouret would have forgotten about her. Instead, her refusal is tearing Mouret apart. He thinks Denise is a “vampire” who could destroy the well-oiled machine, so he looks for a reason to have her fired. Rumors circulate that Deloche and Hutin were once Denise’s lovers, and Bourdoncle tries to make Jouve—who is now protective of Denise—catch her with one of them.

Meanwhile, Mouret lives in agony. Denise, who arrived at the Ladies’ Paradise in big boots and an ill-fitting dress, is now “surrounded by radiance” in his eyes. He feels that his life began that day when he walked with her in the park, and that he belongs to her. Her charm—comprised of courage and simplicity—overpowers him. Moreover, she has formed liberal commercial ideas like his own. He can’t comprehend her refusal, and thinks that if he offers her more, she will eventually yield.

Mouret thinks about Denise all day and dreams of her at night. He puts on a smile during business meetings, but privately asks himself what the point of his wealth is when he can’t have Denise. His daily inspections, which used to delight him, now make him miserable. In the delivery room, where goods pour into the store like a river, he feels chagrined that he can buy any product in the world, but not the woman he loves. He feels privately angry at how well his “perfect machine” runs. His powerfulness in business makes him acutely aware of his powerlessness in love.

Mouret walks around the departments but feels no interest in his usual dreams of expansion. The rise and fall of the store’s daily earnings, which he used to watch with interest, now makes him contemptuous of money. Then, Bourdoncle tells him that Denise is having affairs with Hutin and Deloche. Mouret tells Bourdoncle that he needs proof, pretending only to care about keeping peace among the staff. However, his peace of mind is utterly destroyed by Bourdoncle’s news, and he determines to fire Hutin and Deloche.

One day, Mignot is caught helping a woman steal by pretending to help her try on gloves while she stuffs them into her clothes. Staff thefts happen often, but the management usually deals with it quietly. Today however, Mouret shouts at Mignot, threatening to call the police. Bourdoncle runs over, and ushers everyone into an office. After questioning, Mignot confesses that Albert has helped her with a series of thefts. The Lhommes are brought into the office. Mignot is fired, and Albert is let go two days later.

A few days later, Mouret catches Favier lowering prices in the silk department and shouts at him. Favier, who has been deliberately lowering prices in plain sight to implicate Hutin, blames Hutin. Mouret accosts Hutin and berates him for going behind his back. He tells Hutin not to do this again and walks away. Hutin vents his rage to Favier, who pretends to be innocent. Favier wonders why Mouret is so angry lately, and Hutin says it's because of Denise.

Two days later, Hutin catches Denise and Deloche standing by an open window in a manufacturing room. He withdraws quietly, and alerts Bourdoncle and Jouve. Denise often finds Deloche at this window, which is beside a huge cistern of water. They look out over the rooftops and reminisce about their childhoods in the country. Today, they reminisce as usual while listening to the “machine” vibrating through the walls. Suddenly, Deloche starts to cry. He says that he loves Denise, and that they have so much to talk about since they came from the same place.

Denise hushes Deloche, thinking she hears footsteps. When no one comes, Deloche continues confessing his feelings. Eventually, Denise stops listening, letting her eyes roam over the industrial infrastructure of Paris she can see through the window. Deloche takes her hand. Feeling sorry for him, Denise lets him kiss her hand. He laments that he has been at the Ladies’ Paradise for four years but is still in the lowest position. He tells Denise to find someone else, because he will be happy if she is happy.

Suddenly, Mouret is standing in in the doorway. Jouve had gone to get him at the new storefront space where he liked to oversee the construction. When Jouve told him about Denise and Deloche, he came immediately, consumed by jealous passion. Deloche flees, and Mouret asks Denise to come to his office. Once there, he rebukes her sternly. Denise feels that Madame Hédouin, whose picture both intimidates and comforts her, is protecting her. She calmly apologizes for socializing during work hours.

Mouret loses his temper violently, asking Denise if she is ashamed for giving herself to worthless men. Denise is shocked by Mouret’s accusations, and wonders if he really thinks she is immoral. She says that if he feels this way about her, she doesn’t want to work for him. She starts to leave, but he demands that she defend herself, praying that the rumors of her affairs are false. She stands, silent and dignified.

Mouret bursts out that he loves Denise and begs to know what she wants. He gave up Madame Desforges and Clara and all other affairs; he has offered her everything she could ever want, hoping to please her. Denise tells Mouret that she has no lovers. He asks why she rejects him and says that there must be someone she loves. Denise says there is someone she loves. But her dignity and reason cause her to conceal her love, not wanting to agree to an affair when she doesn’t know what might come from it.

Mouret makes a gesture of despair. Denise implores him to believe that she is respectable, as most women are. Mouret is reminded of Madame Hédouin’s values and feels that Denise, in her goodness, is a resurrection of his late wife. He says that he belongs to Denise, and she jokes that he’ll become a decent man in her hands. Mouret escorts her to the door.

The next day, the ladieswear department is split in two, and Denise is promoted to position of buyer for the children’s section. Madame Aurélie fears that she will eventually lose her job to Denise. The Lhommes’ power has fallen, and Madame Aurélie privately feels that this is because of their bad family life at home. In her new position, Denise commands respect from men and women alike. Bourdoncle gives up his resistance, feeling that the women have won. The only person Denise dislikes is Clara, who has gone through with her threat and started an affair with Colomban.

Denise, who loves children, runs her department excellently. She helps young girls find dresses that they love and keeps sweets in her pockets for the kids. She has friendly conversations with Mouret in which she tells him her modern business ideas. She campaigns to improve the poor working conditions that lead employees to get sick or be unfairly fired. She says that Mouret has to use “good metal” to make his machine run well. Mouret cheerfully accuses her of socialism but follows her advice, creating a mutual aid society that promises pensions.

Denise organizes a band, led by Lhomme, and hosts a big festival for employees and customers. She sets up a school that teaches evening classes to employees, and she campaigns to get doctors and hairdressers on site. These actions bend everyone in favor of Denise. Bourdoncle is defeated, realizing that a woman has come along who has Mouret at her mercy. Denise can hardly believe her power: she used to feel like she was nothing, and now she feels that she is the “soul of the world.” She has claimed authority not with her beauty, but with her gentleness and simplicity.

Some time later, Pauline becomes pregnant. Employees aren’t allowed to keep working if they get pregnant, and many salesgirls have had stillborn children from trying to conceal their stomachs with corsets. Before Bourdoncle can fire Pauline, Denise establishes that all pregnant salesgirls should be assigned midwives and leaves of absence.

Denise visits Pauline in the infirmary, and Pauline and Baugé thank her for the great changes she has made. Baugé leaves, and Pauline asks Denise what is going on between her and Mouret. Denise confesses that she loves Mouret. Pauline urges her to accept him, and, when Denise shakes her head, asks if Denise is trying to get Mouret to propose. Although Denise feels that marriage is the proper expression of love, she has no schemes against Mouret. Denise feels that no one understands her, and Pauline comforts her.

Meanwhile, Mouret visits his new building. It is the realization of his dream, but it makes him feel “the vanity of his fortune.” Only Denise’s acceptance can fill his empty heart. He weeps with frustration. The vague idea of marriage starts to occur to him.