Virtue and hard work were still the only things worth anything in this world.
"Who is the baby's father ?" she said, interrupting herself, her eyes lit up with an expression of acute curiosity.
Nana was taken by surprise and hesitated a moment.
"A gentleman," she replied.
"There now!" rejoined the aunt.

"They declared that you had him by a stonemason who was in the habit of beating you.

Indeed, you shall tell me all about it someday; you know I'm discreet! Tut, tut, I'll look after him as though he were a prince's son." She had retired from business as a florist and was living on her savings, which she had got together sou by sou, till now they brought her in an income of six hundred francs a year.

Nana promised to rent some pretty little lodgings for her and to give her a hundred francs a month besides.

At the mention of this sum the aunt forgot herself and shrieked to her niece, bidding her squeeze their throats, since she had them in her grasp.