Louis Darcier de Perpuyas

Louis Darquier de Pellepoix is identified at a gathering hosted by Messerschmidt as Cati’s jealous “uncle.” His brief appearance places the Vichy regime’s commissioner for Jewish affairs among the notorious foreign fascists and collaborators assembled under the protection of Franco’s regime.## Identity and AppearanceDarquier is present at Messerschmidt’s reception with Cati, who calls him her uncle. The narrator clarifies that this is not a family relation: Darquier held the office of commissioner for Jewish affairs under the Vichy regime. The explanation transforms a possessive social companion into a figure of political responsibility.## Recognition at the GatheringManuel Arroyo Benítez attends in the assumed identity of Adrián Gallardo and recognizes Darquier without hesitation. Darquier is one among several guests who use their real names, as if confident that Franco’s regime will shield them. Manuel’s recognition makes the reception more than a society gathering: it is an encounter with a gallery of notorious figures whose apparent security depends on political protection.## Cati and the Social SceneWhen Luci suggests that Manuel should have stayed in Madrid, Cati turns toward her as though her companion is summoning her, smiles, and explains that she must leave because her uncle becomes jealous if she is away from him for five minutes. She finishes her brandy and sets the glass on a small table before rejoining him. Her casual explanation gives Darquier’s presence an everyday social surface, while the narrator’s identification of his office exposes the political reality beneath it.## Narrative SignificanceDarquier’s small role depends on the contrast between intimacy and impunity. In Cati’s account he is simply a jealous relative; in the narrative he is a Vichy official whose reputation Manuel recognizes at once. His presence alongside other openly named fascists shows how the gathering’s convivial manners coexist with the guests’ confidence that Franco’s regime will protect them.