And it was also
wondrous to see how that unfortunate creature Cecile regarded the child
as in some degree her own. He had indeed two mothers, whose thoughts were
for him alone. If Norine, during the first few months, had often wearied
of spending her days in pasting little boxes together, if even thoughts
of flight had at times come to her, she had always been restrained by the
puny arms that were clasped around her neck. And now she had grown calm,
sensible, diligent, and very expert at the light work which Cecile had
taught her. It was a sight to see them both, gay and closely united in
their little home, which was like a convent cell, spending their days at
their little table; while between them was their child, their one source
of life, of hard-working courage and happiness.
Since they had been living thus they had made but one good friend, and
this was Madame Angelin. As a delegate of the Poor Relief Service,
intrusted with one of the Grenelle districts, Madame Angelin had found
Norine among the pensioners over whom she was appointed to watch. A
feeling of affection for the two mothers, as she called the sisters, had
sprung up within her, and she had succeeded in inducing the authorities
to prolong the child's allowance of thirty francs a month for a period of
three years.
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