Minard had married for love the daughter of a porter, an artificial-flower maker employed by Mademoiselle Godard.

Zelie Lorrain, a pupil, in the first place, of the Conservatoire, then by turns a danseuse, a singer, and an actress, had thought of doing as so many of the working-women do; but the fear of consequences kept her from vice.

She was floating undecidedly along, when Minard appeared upon the scene with a definite proposal of marriage.

Zelie earned five hundred francs a year, Minard had fifteen hundred.

Believing that they could live on two thousand, they married without settlements, and started with the utmost economy.
They went to live, like dove-turtles, near the barriere de Courcelles, in a little apartment at three hundred francs a year, with white cotton curtains to the windows, a Scotch paper costing fifteen sous a roll on the walls, brick floors well polished, walnut furniture in the parlor, and a tiny kitchen that was very clean.