Page 739 - les-miserables

sieur.’
Children accept joy and happiness instantly and famil-
iarly, being themselves by nature joy and happiness.
Cosette caught sight of Catherine at the foot of her bed,
and took possession of her, and, as she played, she put a hun-
dred questions to Jean Valjean. Where was she? Was Paris
very large? Was Madame Thenardier very far away? Was she
to go back? etc., etc. All at once she exclaimed, ‘How pretty
it is here!’
It was a frightful hole, but she felt free.
‘Must I sweep?’ she resumed at last.
‘Play!’ said Jean Valjean.
The day passed thus. Cosette, without troubling herself
to understand anything, was inexpressibly happy with that
doll and that kind man.

739