It appeared that they had just called upon Toussaint, who had been unable to lend them even such a trifle as ten sous.

Since Salvat's arrest, the woman and the child had been forsaken and suspected by one and all.
Driven forth from their wretched lodging, they were without food and wandered hither and thither dependent on chance alms.

Never had greater want and misery fallen on defenceless creatures.
"I told them to come up here, father," said Thomas, "for I thought that one might pay their landlord a month's rent, so that they might go home again....

Ah! there's somebody coming now--it's they, no doubt." Guillaume had felt angry with himself whilst listening to his son, for he had not thought of the poor creatures.

It was the old story: the man disappears, and the woman and the child find themselves in the streets, starving.