on this slim pale youth, she was giving evidence of her preference for her first husband, a tender-hearted, caressing Provencal, who had loved her devotedly.  Quenu, whose good humour and amiability had at first attracted her, had perhaps displayed too much self-satisfaction, and shown too plainly that he looked upon himself as the main source of happiness.  At all events she formed the opinion that her younger son—­and in southern families younger sons are still often sacrificed—­would never do any good; so she contented herself with sending him to a school kept by a neighbouring old maid, where the lad learned nothing but how to idle his time away.  The two brothers grew up far apart from each other, as though they were strangers.

When Florent arrived at Le Vigan his mother was already buried.  She had insisted upon having her illness concealed from him till the very last moment, for fear of disturbing his studies.  Thus he found little Quenu, who was then twelve years old, sitting and sobbing alone on a table in the middle of the kitchen.  A furniture dealer, a neighbour, gave him particulars of his mother’s last hours.  She had reached the end of her resources, had killed herself by the hard work which she had undertaken to earn sufficient money that her elder son might continue his legal studies.  To her modest trade in ribbons, the profits of which were but small, she had been obliged to add other occupations, which kept her up very late at night.  Her one idea of seeing Florent established as an advocate, holding a good position in the town, had gradually caused her to become hard and miserly, without pity for either herself or others.  Little Quenu was allowed to wander about in ragged breeches, and in blouses from which the sleeves were falling away.  He never dared to serve himself at table, but waited till he received his allowance of bread from his mother’s hands.  She gave herself equally thin slices, and it was to the effects of this regimen that she had succumbed, in deep despair at having failed to accomplish her self-allotted task.

This story made a most painful impression upon Florent’s tender nature, and his sobs wellnigh choked him.  He took his little half brother in his arms, held him to his breast, and kissed him as though to restore to him the love of which he had unwittingly deprived him.  Then he looked at the lad’s gaping shoes, torn sleeves, and dirty hands, at all the manifest signs of wretchedness and neglect.  And he told him that he would take him away, and that they would both live happily together.  The next day, when he began to inquire into affairs, he felt afraid that he would not be able to keep sufficient money to pay for the journey back to Paris.  However, he was determined to leave Le Vigan at any cost.  He was fortunately able to sell the little ribbon business, and this enabled him to discharge his mother’s debts, for despite her strictness in money matters she had gradually run up bills.  Then, as there was nothing left, his mother’s neighbour, the furniture dealer, offered him five hundred francs for her chattels and stock of linen.  It was a very good bargain for the dealer, but the young man thanked him with tears in his eyes.  He bought his brother some new clothes, and took him away that same evening.