At last, apparently making a prodigious effort, he cried out, “Wait!”

And going to a tub filled with water, he plunged his face into it several times.

Every eye was turned upon him; the countrywoman herself seemed astonished.  At length he raised his dripping head.  This ablution had partly dispelled his drunkenness; he looked at us for a moment, then he turned to Genevieve, and his face brightened up.

“Robert!” cried he, going up to the child, and taking him in his arms.  “Ah! give him me, wife; I must look at him.”

The mother seemed to give up his son to him with reluctance, and stayed before him with her arms extended, as if she feared the child would have a fall.  The nurse began again in her turn to speak, and renewed her claims, this time threatening to appeal to law.  At first Michael listened to her attentively, and when he comprehended her meaning, he gave the child back to its mother.

“How much do we owe you?” asked he.

The countrywoman began to reckon up the different expenses, which amounted to nearly thirty francs.  The joiner felt to the bottom of his pockets, but could find nothing.  His forehead became contracted by frowns; low curses began to escape him.  All of a sudden he rummaged in his breast, drew forth a large watch, and holding it up above his head: 

“Here it is—­here’s your money!” cried he with a joyful laugh; “a watch, a good one!  I always said it would keep for a drink on a dry day; but it is not I who will drink it, but the young one.  Ah! ah! ah! go and sell it for me, neighbor, and if that is not enough, I have my earrings.  Eh!  Genevieve, take them off for me; the earrings will square all!  They shall not say you have been disgraced on account of the child—­no, not even if I must pledge a bit of my flesh!  My watch, my earrings, and my ring—­get rid of all of them for me at the goldsmith’s; pay the woman, and let the little fool go to sleep.  Give him me, Genevieve; I will put him to bed.”

And, taking the baby from the arms of his mother, he carried him with a firm step to his cradle.

It was easy to perceive the change which took place in Michael from this day.  He cut all his old drinking acquaintances.  He went early every morning to his work, and returned regularly in the evening to finish the day with Genevieve and Robert.  Very soon he would not leave them at all, and he hired a place near the fruit-shop, and worked in it on his own account.

They would soon have been able to live in comfort, had it not been for the expenses which the child required.  Everything was given up to his education.  He had gone through the regular school training, had studied mathematics, drawing, and the carpenter’s trade, and had only begun to work a few months ago.  Till now, they had been exhausting every resource which their laborious industry could provide to push him forward in his business; and, happily, all these exertions had not proved useless:  the seed had brought forth fruit, and the days of harvest were close by.