She would carry off her boy into the sunshine outside to watch him kicking about; she would dress him like a little prince and roll with him in the grass.

The moment he arrived she decided that he was to sleep near her, in the room next hers, where Mme Lerat, whom the country greatly affected, used to begin snoring the moment her head touched the pillow.

Louiset did not hurt Zizi's position in the least.

On the contrary, Nana said that she had now two children, and she treated them with the same wayward tenderness.

At night, more than ten times running, she would leave Zizi to go and see if Louiset were breathing properly, but on her return she would re-embrace her Zizi and lavish on him the caresses that had been destined for the child.