" And the child ran to Buvat, who was watching from the door this
pitiable spectacle. Buvat took Bathilde back to the corpse.

"Kiss your mother for the last time, my poor child," said he.

The child obeyed.

"And now," said he, "let her sleep. One day God will wake her;" and he
took the child in his arms and carried her away. The child made no
resistance. She seemed to understand her weakness and her isolation.

He put her in his own bed, for they had carried away even the child's
cot; and when she was asleep, he went out to give information of the
death to the commissary of the quarter, and to make arrangements for the
funeral.

When he returned, the portress gave him a paper, which the nurse had
found in Clarice's hand. Buvat opened and recognized the letter from the
Duc d'Orleans. This was the sole inheritance which the poor mother had
left to her daughter.

CHAPTER XVI.

BATHILDE.

In going to make his declaration to the commissary of the quarter and
his arrangements for the funeral, Buvat had not forgotten to look for a
woman who could take care of little Bathilde, an office which he could
not undertake himself; firstly, because he was entirely ignorant of its
duties; and, secondly, because it would be impossible to leave the
child alone during the six hours he spent daily at the office.
Fortunately, he knew the very person he wanted; a woman of from
thirty-five to thirty-eight years of age, who had been in Madame Buvat's
service, and whose good qualities he had duly appreciated. It was
arranged with Nanette--for this was the good woman's name--that she
should live in the house, do the cooking, take care of little Bathilde,
and have fifty livres a year wages, and her board. This new arrangement
must greatly change all Buvat's habits, by obliging him to have a
housekeeper, whereas he had always lived as a bachelor, and taken his
meals at an eating-house. He could no longer keep his attic, which was
now too small for him, and next morning he went in search of a new
lodging. He found one, Rue Pagevin, as he wished to be near the royal
library, that he might not have too far to walk in wet weather. This
lodging contained two rooms, a closet, and a kitchen. He took it on the
spot, and went to buy the necessary furniture for Bathilde and Nanette's
rooms; and the same evening, after his return from business, they moved
to their new lodgings.

The next day, which was Sunday, Clarice was buried; so that