Madame Toussaint on her side had quickly drawn near, not indeed to ask for anything herself, but because she was well pleased at such a God-send for her sister-in-law, whose circumstances were worse than her own.

And when she saw the priest slip ten francs into Madame Theodore's hand she explained to him that she herself would willingly have lent something had she been able.

Then she promptly started on the stories of Toussaint's attack and her son Charles's ill-luck.
But Celine broke in: "I say, mamma, the factory where papa used to work is here in this street, isn't it?
Monsieur l'Abbe has some business there."* * Although the children of the French peasantry almost invariably address their parents as "father" and "mother," those of the working classes of Paris, and some other large cities, usually employ the terms "papa" and "mamma."-- Trans.
"The Grandidier factory," resumed Madame Toussaint; "well, we were just going there, and we can show Monsieur l'Abbe the way." It was only a hundred steps off.

Escorted by the two women and the child, Pierre slackened his steps and tried to extract some information about Salvat from Madame Theodore.

But she at once became very prudent.