g. At intervals, that we should not become too discouraged,
that we may have the stupidity to consent to bear our being, and not
profit by the magnificent opportunities to hang ourselves which cords
and nails afford, nature puts on an air of taking a little care of
man--not to-night, though. The rogue causes the wheat to spring up,
ripens the grape, gives her song to the nightingale. From time to time a
ray of morning or a glass of gin, and that is what we call happiness! It
is a narrow border of good round a huge winding-sheet of evil. We have a
destiny of which the devil has woven the stuff and God has sewn the hem.
In the meantime, you have eaten my supper, you thief!"

In the meantime the infant whom he was holding all the time in his arms
very tenderly whilst he was vituperating, shut its eyes languidly; a
sign of repletion. Ursus examined the phial, and grumbled,--

"She has drunk it all up, the impudent creature!"

He arose, and sustaining the infant with his left arm, with his right he
raised the lid of the chest and drew from beneath it a bear-skin--the
one he called, as will be remembered, his real skin. Whilst he was doing
this he heard the other child eating, and looked at him sideways.

"It will be something to do if, henceforth, I have to feed that growing
glutton. It will be a worm gnawing at the vitals of my industry."

He spread out, still with one arm, the bear-skin on the chest, working
his elbow and managing his movements so as not to disturb the sleep into
which the infant was just sinking.

Then he laid her down on the fur, on the side next the fire. Having done
so, he placed the phial on the stove, and exclaimed,--

"I'm thirsty, if you like!"

He looked into the pot. There were a few good mouthfuls of milk left in
it; he raised it to his lips. Just as he was about to drink, his eye
fell on the little girl. He replaced the pot on the stove, took the
phial, uncorked it, poured into it all the milk that remained, which was
just sufficient to fill it, replaced the sponge and the linen rag over
it, and tied it round the neck of the bottle.

"All the same, I'm hungry and thirsty," he observed.

And he added,--

"When one cannot eat bread, one must drink water."

Behind the stove there was a jug with the spout off. He took it and
handed it to the boy.

"Will you drink?"

The child drank, and then went on eating.

Ursus seized the pitcher again, and conveyed it to his mouth. The
tempera