four hundred francs to have her little one taken care of
till his first communion. Just look at him--a superb child, isn't he?
What a pity it is that the finest are often those who die the first."

Mathieu looked at the infant on the woman's knees. His garments were
very white, of fine texture, trimmed with lace, as if he were some
little condemned prince being taken in all luxury to execution. And the
young man remembered that Norine had told him that the child was the
offspring of crime. Born amid secrecy, he was now, for a fixed sum,
to be handed over to a woman who would quietly suppress him by simply
leaving some door or window wide open. Young though the boy was, he
already had a finely-formed face, that suggested the beauty of a cherub.
And he was very well behaved; he did not raise the faintest wail. But a
shudder swept through Mathieu. How abominable!

La Couteau quickly sprang from the cab as soon as they reached the
courtyard of the St. Lazare Station. "Thank you, monsieur, you have been
very kind," said she. "And if you will kindly recommend me to any ladies
you may know, I shall be quite at their disposal."

Then Mathieu, having alighted on the pavement in his turn, saw a scene
which detained him there a few moments longer. Amid all the scramble of
passengers and luggage, five women of peasant aspect, each carrying an
infant, were darting in a scared, uneasy way hither and thither, like
crows in trouble, with big yellow beaks quivering and black wings
flapping with anxiety. Then, on perceiving La Couteau, there was one
general caw, and all five swooped down upon her with angry, voracious
mien. And, after a furious exchange of cries and explanations, the six
banded themselves together, and, with cap-strings waving and skirts
flying, rushed towards the train, carrying the little ones, like birds
of prey who feared delay in returning to the charnel-house.

And Mathieu remained alone in the great crowd. Thus every year did these
crows of ill omen carry off from Paris no fewer than 20,000 children,
who were never, never seen again! Ah! that great question of the
depopulation of France! Not merely were there those who were resolved
to have no children, not only were infanticide and crime of other kinds
rife upon all sides, but one-half of the babes saved from those dangers
were killed. Thieves and murderesses, eager for lucre, flocked to the
great city from the four points of the compass, and bore away all the