When the colonel came down and his mother had asked how he liked his little bedroom, the two widows explained to him the situation of the family.

Madame Descoings and Agathe possessed, by putting all their resources together, an income of five thousand three hundred francs, four thousand of which belonged to Madame Descoings and were merely a life annuity.

The Descoings made an allowance of six hundred a year to Bixiou, whom she had acknowledged as her grandson during the last few months, also six hundred to Joseph; the rest of her income, together with that of Agathe, was spent for the household wants.

All their savings were by this time eaten up.
"Make yourselves easy," said the lieutenant-colonel.

"I'll find a situation and put you to no expense; all I need for the present is board and lodging." Agathe kissed her son, and Madame Descoings slipped a hundred francs into his hand to pay for his losses of the night before.