"He who ought to be able to command all the pleasures of life is worse off than our own children." He also recollected that one day, as his father was talking to the Marquis de Laurebourg, an old lady, who was doubtless the Marchioness, had said, "Poor boy! he was so early deprived of a mother's care!" What did that mean unless it was a reflection upon the arbitrary behavior of his father?
Norbert saw that these people always had their children with them, and the sight of this filled him with jealousy, and brought tears of anguish to his eyes.

Sometimes, as he trudged wearily behind his yoke of oxen, goad in hand, he would see some of these young scions of the aristocracy canter by on horseback, and the friendly wave of the hand with which they greeted him almost appeared to his jaundiced mind a premeditated insult.

What could they find to do in Paris, to which they all took wing at the first breath of winter?
This was a question which he found himself utterly unable to solve.

To drink to intoxication offered no charms to him, and yet this was the only pleasure which the villagers seemed to enjoy.

Those young men must have some higher class of entertainment, but in what could it consist?
Norbert could hardly read a line without spelling every word; but these new thoughts running through his mind caused him to study, so as to improve his education.
His father had often told him that he did not like lads who where always poring over books; and so Norbert did not discontinue his studies, but simply avoided bringing them under his father's notice.