Who is Madame Hortense in Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis?

When we meet Madame Hortense, she is an older woman, saddened by her age and living in the past. Once a beautful and much desired courtesan, Madame Hortense lived a life of excitement, which was filled with important and influential people. Zorba's arrival serves to make her feel young again.