FLORENT, elder son of a widow who took as her second husband M. Quenu, who, however, died three years later, leaving a son.  Florent was a gentle, studious youth, and his mother lavished all her affection on him, dying in the end from hardships endured in her struggle to keep him at college in Paris.  After her death Florent took young Quenu, his half-brother, to live with him in Paris, giving up all thought of continuing to attend the Law School, and taking pupils in order to find means of sustenance.  Years of hardship followed, and Florent became imbued with Republican ideas.  Two days after the Coup d’Etat of 1851, while the military were firing on the mob in the Boulevard Montmartre, he was knocked down and stunned.  When he recovered, he found that he was lying beside the body of a young woman, whose blood had oozed from her wounds on to his hands.  He was horrified at the sight, and rushed away to join a party of men who were throwing up barricades in an adjoining street.  Worn out with fatigue, he fell asleep, and on awakening found himself in the hands of the police.  His hands were still stained with the blood of the young woman, and the authorities assumed that he was a dangerous character.  The semblance of a trial followed; he was condemned and transported to Cayenne.  After incredible hardships and sufferings, he escaped and returned to France.  Famished and exhausted, he tramped towards Paris, and had fallen in a faint on the road when he was overtaken by Madame Francois, who took him the rest of the journey on her cart.  During his long absence his brother Quenu had at first been taken in by Gradelle, a brother of his mother, to whose business of pork-butcher he ultimately succeeded.  Florent on his return from exile was warmly received by his brother and Madame Quenu, who told him that Gradelle, his uncle, had died, leaving a considerable sum, and that as there was no will he was entitled to a half-share.  He refused to accept this, but agreed to live with the Quenus.  This arrangement answered well at first, but Madame Quenu got tired of seeing him always about the house, and let him see that he must secure employment.  After some time he got an appointment as deputy inspector at the Fish Market.  He was introduced by Gavard to a small revolutionary circle which met nightly in a cafe kept by M. Lebigre, and of which he soon became the leader.  Meantime, Mlle. Saget, who from a chance word of Pauline, the little daughter of Quenu, had learned Florent’s past history, spread the story in the markets, and a strong feeling was awakened against him.  His sister-in-law, Lisa, alarmed lest her husband should be compromised by the revolutionary conspiracy, thought it her duty to inform the police.  She learned, however, that Florent’s history had all along been known, Lebigre being a police spy, and that only a favourable opportunity was being awaited to arrest the whole gang of conspirators.  The blow fell soon afterwards, and Florent was again sentenced to transportation to Cayenne.  Le Ventre de Paris.