Éponine burst into a laugh and leaped on his neck. "I am here, my little papa, because I am here; are not people allowed to sit down on the stones at present? It is you who oughtn't to be here; and what have you come to do, since it is a biscuit? I told Magnon so, and there is nothing to be done here. But embrace me, my good little papa, it is such a time since I saw you. You are out, then?"
Thénardier tried to free himself from Éponine's arms, and growled,—
"There, there, you have embraced me. Yes, I am out, and not in. Now be off."
But Éponine did not loose her hold, and redoubled her caresses.
"My dear papa, how ever did you manage? You must have been very clever to get out of that scrape, so tell me all about it. And where is mamma? Give me some news of her."
Thénardier answered,—
"She's all right. I don't know; leave me and be off, I tell you."
"I do not exactly want to go off," Éponine said with the pout of a spoiled child; "you send me away, though I haven't seen you now for four months, and I have scarce had time to embrace you."
And she caught her father again round the neck.
"Oh, come, this is a bore," said Babet.