Diary of a Chambermaid

A few things. The neighbors tell Celestine to beware of Montiel, as he knocks the women up. Rose says specifically that, with him, "bang," the first time, you're pregnant. This, in the presence of an old man who loves Huysmans, seems to be a parody of aristocratic enervation - Montiel, rather than being inadequate, is in fact amazingly virile.

When Montiel first propositions Celestine, he tells her "I'm not a brute. I won't get you pregnant!" Virility, again, is associated with the animal - as an aristocratic man, Montiel should not be so virile.

Aha! In addition to the servants' constant anti-Semitism, the neighbors call Montiel a "Jew." If he is actually Jewish, that could explain his virility - the jew is apparently the brute, and his bloodline comes from outside of the family's. And the family does seem completely without energy; Madame no longer has sex, according to the servants, because it gives her pain. Instead, she fetishizes household objects - lamps and such - investing all of her energy in them. And her father is even further gone; he wants to hold Celestine's calf, dress her in shoes, and watch her walk around the room in them, but never seems to want to go further than that. Montiel could bring some of the blood of the brute to this family (Priest: "Monteil is a very vigorous man" Madame "Unfortunately" - he has to work off all of his energy hunting) but Madame cannot receive his energy - it's too painful.