Zélie Meauhourat

In the novel Elephants Can Remember, Mademoiselle Zélie Meauhourat was the second of Celia Ravenscroft's governesses at Overcliffe. She took on the post about one to one and a half years after Mademoiselle Rouselle. After this, Zélie Meauhourat returned to Switzerland where she started a pensionnat. She is one of the titular elephants.

Shortly before the death of the Ravenscrofts, Zélie Meauhourat returned to Overcliffe to serve as a companion and to help look after Margaret Ravenscroft. At the same time it was decided that Celia should have an overseas education in Switzerland. A sister of Zélie received Celia and settled her in the boarding school. Meanwhile, Zélie remained at Overcliff and was there at the time of the death of Celia's parents. Subsequently Zélie returned to Switzerland and Celia continued her education at her pensionnat.

For many years, Zélie remained silent about that she know about the true circumstances of the death of Celia's parents but Poirot eventually persuaded her to come to England to help him establish the truth.

At the time of the events in the book, Zélie is living in Lausanne. Poirot found her a remarkable woman of about forty. She had eyes that watched and "made their own judgment on you, willing to welcome you, looking with kindliness on those who came her way but without undue softness."