“Look here! Do you hear me?” said her mistress.
Cosette turned her pocket out. There was nothing there. What could have become of the money?
“Have you lost it, the money,” screamed the woman, “or do you want to steal it from me?”
Meanwhile the stranger had fumbled in his vest pocket without being noticed by any one. Cosette was crouching in the corner of the chimney.
“Pardon me, Madame,” said the man, “but just a moment ago I saw something bright roll on the floor. Perhaps it was the money.”
At the same time, he stooped down and seemed to be searching the floor.
“Exactly so; here it is,” said he, rising. And he handed the woman a piece of money.
“Yes, that is it,” said she.
It was not the money, for this coin was larger, but the woman thought it all the better for that. She put it into her pocket, and contented herself with a fierce look at the child, saying, “See that this does not happen again!”
Cosette went back again into what the woman called her “kennel.”