In this book, we are introduced to one of the most pathetic characters in the novel, Fantine. A young girl of humble origins, she has retained her candor and compassion in the libertine company she keeps. Although she has taken a lover, Félix Tholomyès, she treats her affair with the romantic intensity of a first love. One summer day of the year 1817, Tholomyès arranges an outing in the country for Fantine and three more lighthearted couples. The day is spent in carefree amusements and concludes with a dinner in a restaurant, accompanied by banter and laughter.
But the festivities are marred by a macabre incident. An old horse dies before the eyes of the students and their girls. For Tholomyès, it is only an occasion for a pun, but Fantine is touched by the nag's death.
The event seems to be the knell of her happiness. The men steal away from the restaurant and leave behind only a callous goodbye note—they are deserting their mistresses. Fantine's life is shattered, for she has had a little girl, Cosette, by Tholomyès, and he has left her without resources.
