Then they were silent again. At the end of a few moments, the mother,
in a weak voice, said:
"Show her to me, Benoist."
He took up the little one and was showing it to her as if he were
holding the consecrated wafer, when the door opened, and Isidore
Vallin appeared.
He did not understand at first, then all at once he guessed.
Benoist, in consternation, stammered out:
"I was passing, I was just passing by when I heard her crying out, and
I came--there is your child, Vallin!"
Then the husband, his eyes full of tears, stepped forward, took the
little mite of humanity that he held out to him, kissed it, unable to
speak from emotion for a few seconds; then placing the child on the
bed, he held out both hands to Benoist, saying:
"Your hand upon it, Benoist. From now on we understand each other. If
you are willing, we will be a pair of friends, a pair of friends!"
And Benoist replied:
"Indeed I will, certainly, indeed I will."