Mathieu had learnt only the day before that Norine, on leaving Madame
Bourdieu's, had sought a temporary refuge with a female friend, not
caring to resume a life of quarrelling at her parents' home. Besides
her attempt to regain admittance at Beauchene's, she had applied at two
other establishments; but, as a matter of fact, she did not evince any
particular ardor in seeking to obtain work. Four months' idleness and
coddling had altogether disgusted her with a factory hand's life, and
the inevitable was bound to happen. Indeed Beauchene, as he came back
sipping his cognac, resumed: "Yes, I met her in the street. She was
quite smartly dressed, and leaning on the arm of a big, bearded young
fellow, who did nothing but make eyes at her. It was certain to come to
that, you know. I always thought so."

Then he was stepping towards his wife and the doctor, when he remembered
something else, came back, and asked Mathieu in a yet lower tone, "What
was it you were telling me about the child?" And as soon as Mathieu had
related that he had taken the infant to the Foundling Hospital so as
to be certain that it was deposited there, he warmly pressed his hand.
"That's perfect. Thank you, my dear fellow; I shall be at peace now."

He felt, indeed, intensely relieved, hummed a lively air, and then took
his stand before Constance, who was still consulting the doctor. She
was holding little Maurice against her knees, and gazing at him with the
jealous love of a good bourgeoise, who carefully watched over the health
of her only son, that son whom she wished to make a prince of industry
and wealth. All at once, however, in reply to a remark from Boutan, she
exclaimed: "Why then, doctor, you think me culpable? You really say that
a child, nursed by his mother, always has a stronger constitution than
others, and can the better resist the ailments of childhood?"

"Oh! there is no doubt of it, madame."

Beauchene, ceasing to chew his cigar, shrugged his shoulders, and burst
into a sonorous laugh: "Oh! don't you worry, that youngster will live
to be a hundred! Why, the Burgundian who nursed him was as strong as a
rock! But, I say, doctor, you intend then to make the Chambers pass a
law for obligatory nursing by mothers?"

At this sally Boutan also began to laugh. "Well, why not?" said he.

This at once supplied Beauchene with material for innumerable jests.
Why, such a law would completely upset manners and customs, social life
would b