Accordingly, she nursed the children with a fervour in which maternal severity was blended with an usurer's solicitude.

She amused herself by fattening them as though they constituted a capital which, later on, would return a large interest.
"Enough!" Pierre would sometimes exclaim, "all children are ungrateful.
You are spoiling them, you are ruining us." When Felicite spoke of sending them to college, he got angry.

Latin was a useless luxury, it would be quite sufficient if they went through the classes of a little neighbouring school The young woman, however, persisted in her design.

She possessed certain elevated instincts which made her take a great pride in surrounding herself with accomplished children; moreover, she felt that her sons must never remain as illiterate as her husband, if she wished to see them become prominent men.

She fancied them all three in Paris in high positions, which she did not clearly define.