As Boutan remarked, it is not
enough for a woman to have a child; she should also possess healthy moral
gifts in order that she may bring it up in creditable fashion. Marianne,
for her part, made it her pride to obtain everything from her children by
dint of gentleness and grace. She was listened to, obeyed, and worshipped
by them, because she was so beautiful, so kind, and so greatly beloved.
Her task was scarcely easy, since she had eight children already; but in
all things she proceeded in a very orderly fashion, utilizing the elder
to watch over the younger ones, giving each a little share of loving
authority, and extricating herself from every embarrassment by setting
truth and justice above one and all. Blaise and Denis, the twins, who
were now sixteen, and Ambroise, who was nearly fourteen, did in a measure
escape her authority, being largely in their father's hands. But around
her she had the five others--from Rose, who was eleven, to Louise, who
was two years old; between them, at intervals of a couple of years,
coming Gervais, Claire, and Gregoire. And each time that one flew away,
as it were, feeling his wings strong enough for flight, there appeared
another to nestle beside her.
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