The uncle of Françoise told him of his embarrassments. Françoise was very pretty, and very quick and intelligent for her age. "Give her to me," said Jacques, "I will teach her to tell fortunes." The truth was, that at that time Jacques was forced to beg, as he had squandered all his money, and he thought also that it would be much more interesting to have with him a little girl whom he could pass off as his daughter, and to whom more would be given than to him. It was not, in truth, very convenient for a man without money, and who was constantly wandering from place to place, to burden himself with a little girl only five years old; but persons like Jacques never think of the future; and besides, if ever she happened to stand in the way of his interests, he was not one who would feel much scruple in leaving her on the first road he came to, whenever it happened to suit his convenience.
Her uncle made no inquiries about all this; he was so rejoiced to get rid of Françoise that he did not even trouble himself to consider that fortune-telling is a very disreputable trade, since it is a system of deceptions. However, as he was rather ashamed of thus abandoning his brother's child, he told in the village that Jacques was going to take her to her mother's native place, which was a long way off, and leave her with a relation who would take care of her; so that no one thought any more of Françoise, and she remained entirely in the power of Jacques, who could do what he pleased with her.
The first few days, she found it pleasant enough to run about the country. Jacques did not travel very rapidly, for as soon as he obtained any money, on account of the pretty face of Françoise, he stopped at a public-house, in order to spend it in drink. Françoise liked this well enough, for on these occasions she always got something to eat; nevertheless, if Jacques remained too long, she become weary, cried, and ended by falling asleep.
At last the fatigue of this sort of life made her ill. Then Jacques taught her to remain on his back with her arms round his neck, and seated in a kind of sack, the strings of which he held in front of him. Thus equipped, he begged for his sick child, and by this means obtained much more than before.
One evening when he was intoxicated, he lost his hold of the sack, and poor Françoise fell down, hurt her head very much, and almost dislocated her arm. As she screamed a good deal, Jacques was annoyed, and threatened to throw her into a ditch. She was dreadfully afraid of him, for he had already beaten her several times, especially when he was intoxicated; she therefore ceased, and after having wept in silence for a long time, she fell asleep by his side in a ditch where he passed the night.
The following day she was in a violent state of fever. It is difficult to say what Jacques would have done with her, had not a carrier, who fortunately happened to be passing by, given him for charity, a place in his cart, for himself and his sick child, and in this manner they arrived at Cavignat, which was Jacques's native village. Poor little Françoise was almost dying. She was stretched on the straw of the cart, her head leaning down, and her little face, all pale, and bruised from the fall, was covered with tears, which flowed abundantly from her closed eyes.
The vehicle was quickly surrounded by the women of the village, who questioned one another as to who this child could be, for they had always understood that Jacques was unmarried, and they were therefore greatly astonished at seeing a little girl with him.
Whilst he was fabricating a story on this subject, Madame Pallois, the Curé's sister, happened to pass. She was a very virtuous and benevolent woman, and although not affluent, did a great deal of good in the village, where she visited and took care of the poor, worked for them, and frequently even served them for a doctor. She saw immediately that Françoise especially required food and rest. She had her carried at once into Jacques's house, as she believed her to be his daughter. She herself brought her some soup and a little wine, as well as some sheets to sleep in: she examined and dressed her arm, which was very much swollen, and desired that great care should be taken of her; and as Madame Pallois was highly respected in the village, her orders were always obeyed.
Jacques's house was inhabited by his mother. This house, which was nothing more than a poor hut, half-destroyed, was her only property, for her son had compelled her to sell some small patches of land which she possessed, in order to give him the price of them. He now came back to see whether there was anything else he could take from her; but she could not give him anything more, unless she consented to sell her house and sleep in the street, and this she refused to do. Then this detestable son became angry, he abused her, and even appeared on the point of beating her, so much so that the inhabitants of the village, filled with indignation at his conduct, forced him to leave it, threatening if he again entered it during his mother's lifetime, to denounce him to the authorities of the place. Françoise was not sufficiently restored to be able to accompany him, but this did not disturb him, as his head was now filled with other projects. He therefore left her, and she, on her part, was perfectly satisfied never to see him again.
She remained with his mother, who was called in the village old Catichou, which in the patois of Limousin, and of a part of Auvergne, is equivalent to Catherine, just as Françoise was called Françou. She soon recovered, and old Catichou, who believed her to be her grandchild, was very fond of her. Catichou was, on the whole, a tolerably good sort of woman, though she had so worthless a son, whom she had brought up very badly, not having very correct principles herself. Madame Pallois also was kind to Françou, and always gave her something when she went to see her, such as fruit, nuts, a little bacon, butter, or cheese. Françou, who was generous always gave at least half of everything to Catichou, to whom she was much attached, especially when she compared her with Jacques. Catichou was fond of good living, and at the same time very poor; on these occasions, therefore, she received Françou with such kindness, that the child was so delighted at being able to carry her something, that she went every day to seek for food in the village, where she was considered very pretty, and much liked. If nothing was given to her, she asked for anything that took her fancy; and it sometimes happened that when not observed, she took without asking whatever came within her reach, scarcely knowing that she did wrong; and when she brought home a few carrots or eggs that she had found the means of secreting, or some hemp or beans which she had taken from the fields, or from the places where they had been laid to dry, old Catichou troubled herself but little how they were obtained, quite satisfied with profiting by them. Madame Pallois, indeed, endeavoured to instil correct principles into the mind of Françou, and often exhorted her to conduct herself properly; but as she was not aware of her propensity to theft, she had not thought of alluding to that subject.