atihavelivedinthisquarter；ihavedealtinherlittlefruit…shop。perhapsishouldbebetterservedelsewhere；butmothergenevievehasbutlittlecustom；toleaveherwoulddoherharm；andcauseherunnecessarypain。itseemstomethatthelengthofouracquaintancehasmademeincurasortoftacitobligationtoher；mypatronagehasbeeherproperty。
shehasputthebasketuponmytable；andasiwantherhusband；whoisajoiner；toaddsomeshelvestomybookcase；shehasgonedownstairsagainimmediatelytosendhimtome。
atfirstididnotnoticeeitherherlooksorthesoundofhervoice：
but；nowthatirecallthem；itseemstomethatshewasnotasjovialasusual。canmothergenevievebeintroubleaboutanything？
poorwoman！allherbestyearsweresubjecttosuchbittertrials；thatshemightthinkshehadreceivedherfullsharealready。wereitoliveahundredyears；ishouldneverforgetthecircumstanceswhichmadeherknowntome；andwhichobtainedforhermyrespect。
itwasatthetimeofmyfirstsettlinginthefaubourg。ihadnoticedheremptyfruit…shop；whichnobodycameinto；and；beingattractedbyitsforsakenappearance；imademylittlepurchasesinit。ihavealwaysinstinctivelypreferredthepoorshops；thereislesschoiceinthem；butitseemstomethatmypurchaseisasignofsympathywithabrotherinpoverty。theselittledealingsarealmostalwaysananchorofhopetothosewhoseveryexistenceisinperil鈥斺�攖heonlymeansbywhichsomeorphangainsalivelihood。theretheaimofthetradesmanisnottoenrichhimself；buttolive！thepurchaseyoumakeofhimismorethananexchange鈥斺�攊tisagoodaction。
mothergenevieveatthattimewasstillyoung；buthadalreadylostthatfreshbloomofyouthwhichsufferingcausestowithersosoonamongthepoor。herhusband；acleverjoiner；graduallyleftoffworkingtobee；accordingtothepicturesqueexpressionoftheworkshops；aworshipperofsaintmonday。thewagesoftheweek；whichwasalwaysreducedtotwoorthreeworkingdays；werepletelydedicatedbyhimtotheworshipofthisgodofthebarriers；鈥斺�敚hecheapwineshopsareoutsidethebarriers；toavoidtheoctroi；ormunicipalexcise。＇鈥斺�攁ndgenevievewasobligedherselftoprovideforallthewantsofthehousehold。
oneevening；wheniwenttomakesometriflingpurchasesofher；iheardasoundofquarrellinginthebackshop。therewerethevoicesofseveralwomen；amongwhichidistinguishedthatofgenevieve；brokenbysobs。onlookingfartherin；iperceivedthefruit…womanholdingachildinherarms；andkissingit；whileacountrynurseseemedtobeclaimingherwagesfromher。thepoorwoman；whowithoutdoubthadexhaustedeveryexplanationandeveryexcuse；wascryinginsilence；andoneofherneighborswastryinginvaintoappeasethecountrywoman。excitedbythatloveofmoneywhichtheevilsofahardpeasantlifebuttoowellexcuse；anddisappointedbytherefusalofherexpectedwages；thenursewaslaunchingforthinrecriminations；threats；andabuse。inspiteofmyself；ilistenedtothequarrel；notdaringtointerfere；andnotthinkingofgoingaway；whenmichaelaroutappearedattheshop…door。
thejoinerhadjustefromthebarriers；wherehehadpassedpartofthedayatapublic…house。hisblouse；withoutabelt；anduntiedatthethroat；showednoneofthenoblestainsofwork：inhishandheheldhiscap；whichhehadjustpickedupoutofthemud；hishairwasindisorder；hiseyefixed；andthepallorofdrunkennessinhisface。hecamereelingin；lookedwildlyaroundhim；andcalledgenevieve。
sheheardhisvoice；gaveastart；andrushedintotheshop；butatthesightofthemiserableman；whowastryinginvaintosteadyhimself；shepressedthechildinherarms；andbentoveritwithtears。
thecountrywomanandtheneighborhadfollowedher。
〃e！e！〃criedtheformerinarage；〃doyouintendtopayme；afterall？〃
〃askthemasterforthemoney；〃ironicallyansweredthewomanfromthenextdoor；pointingtothejoiner；whohadjustfallenagainstthecounter。
thecountrywomanlookedathim。
〃ah！heisthefather；〃returnedshe。〃well；whatidlebeggars！nottohaveapennytopayhonestpeople；andgettipsywithwineinthatway。〃
thedrunkardraisedhishead。
〃what！what！〃stammeredhe；〃whoisitthattalksofwine？ivehadnothingbutbrandy！butiamgoingbackagaintogetsomewine！wife；givemeyourmoney；therearesomefriendswaitingformeattheperelatuille。〃
genevievedidnotanswer：hewentroundthecounter；openedthetill；andbegantorummageinit。
〃youseewherethemoneyofthehousegoes！〃observedtheneighbortothecountrywoman；〃howcanthepoorunhappywomanpayyouwhenhetakesall？〃
〃isthatmyfault？〃repliedthenurse；angrily。〃theyowetome；andsomehoworothertheymustpayme！〃
andlettingloosehertongue；asthesewomenoutofthecountrydo；shebeganrelatingatlengthallthecareshehadtakenofthechild；andalltheexpenseithadbeentoher。inproportionassherecalledallshehaddone；herwordsseemedtoconvincehermorethaneverofherrights；andtoincreaseheranger。thepoormother；whonodoubtfearedthatherviolencewouldfrightenthechild；returnedintothebackshop；andputitintoitscradle。
whetheritisthatthecountrywomansawinthisactadeterminationtoescapeherclaims；orthatshewasblindedbypassion；icannotsay；butsherushedintothenextroom；whereiheardthesoundsofquarrelling；withwhichthecriesofthechildweresoonmingled。thejoiner；whowasstillrummaginginthetill；wasstartled；andraisedhishead。
atthesamemomentgenevieveappearedatthedoor；holdinginherarmsthebabythatthecountrywomanwastryingtotearfromher。sherantowardthecounter；andthrowingherselfbehindherhusband；cried：
〃michael；defendyourson！〃
thedrunkenmanquicklystooduperect；likeonewhoawakeswithastart。
〃myson！〃stammeredhe；〃whatson？〃
hislooksfelluponthechild；avaguerayofintelligencepassedoverhisfeatures。
〃robert；〃resumedhe；〃itisrobert！〃
hetriedtosteadyhimselfonhisfeet；thathemighttakethebaby；buthetottered。thenurseapproachedhiminarage。
〃mymoney；orishalltakethechildaway！〃criedshe。〃itisiwhohavefedandbroughtitup：ifyoudontpaymeforwhathasmadeitlive；itoughttobethesametoyouasifitweredead。ishallnotgountilihavemydue；orthebaby。〃
〃andwhatwouldyoudowithhim？〃murmuredgenevieve；pressingrobertagainstherbosom。
〃takeittothefoundling！〃repliedthecountrywoman；harshly；〃thehospitalisabettermotherthanyouare；foritpaysforthefoodofitslittleones。〃
attheword〃foundling；〃genevievehadexclaimedaloudinhorror。withherarmswoundroundherson；whoseheadshehidinherbosom；andhertwohandsspreadoverhim；shehadretreatedtothewall；andremainedwithherbackagainstit；likealionessdefendingheryoung。theneighborandicontemplatedthisscene；withoutknowinghowwecouldinterfere。asformichael；helookedatusbyturns；makingavisibleefforttoprehenditall。whenhiseyerestedupongenevieveandthechild；itlitupwithagleamofpleasure；butwhenheturnedtowardus；heagainbecamestupidandhesitating。
atlast；apparentlymakingaprodigiouseffort；hecriedout；〃wait！〃
andgoingtoatubfilledwithwater；heplungedhisfaceintoitseveraltimes。
everyeyewasturneduponhim；thecountrywomanherselfseemedastonished。atlengthheraisedhisdrippinghead。thisablutionhadpartlydispelledhisdrunkenness；helookedatusforamoment；thenheturnedtogenevieve；andhisfacebrightenedup。
〃robert！〃criedhe；goinguptothechild；andtakinghiminhisarms。
〃ah！givehimme；wife；imustlookathim。〃
themotherseemedtogiveuphissontohimwithreluctance；andstayedbeforehimwithherarmsextended；asifshefearedthechildwouldhaveafall。thenursebeganagaininherturntospeak；andrenewedherclaims；thistimethreateningtoappealtolaw。atfirstmichaellistenedtoherattentively；andwhenheprehendedhermeaning；hegavethechildbacktoitsmother。
〃howmuchdoweoweyou？〃askedhe。
thecountrywomanbegantoreckonupthedifferentexpenses；whichamountedtonearlythirtyfrancs。thejoinerfelttothebottomofhispockets；butcouldfindnothing。hi