Picked up the Norman Denny translation. So, in the chapters where Fantine and her friends meet up with 4 "gentlemen" (term used loosely), the boys wine and dine the girls, take them out on fun excursions and this goes on for two years. On the final day, the boys take the girls out to an uber-fancy restaurant, and promise a "surprise" for the girls. As the girls wonder what the surprise will be, they get a letter that says basically, "we all had our fun together for 2 years, but it's time to move on. Bye! P.S. the meal's been paid for."

3 of the girls just laugh and call it a joke. Fantine laughs with them, but inside, she's crushed. She had sex with Felix Tholomyes, and "the poor girl had a child".

Questions:

• The preceding chapters said that Fantine was more naive than her girlfriends. Since they took being dumped so lightly, did they not "put out" for their boys because they already knew how the game was played? Fantine was the only one, because she honestly thought that Felix really wanted her and would marry her (eventually)?
• "she had a child"... does that mean that she already had Cosette before Felix dumped her? Or does it mean she was "with" child and would have the child a few months later? At least one book words it as "she was with child".
• By the time she heads home to M-sur-M and reaches the Thenn inn (1818), Cosette is almost 3. So, does that mean that Felix knew he had a child, provided nice clothing for her and presents for Fantine, up until he dumped her? That's even worse than abandoning Fantine while pregnant!
• Or was she possibly hiding the child's existence from Felix and just asking for more money and presents and not telling him why?

Timeline:

1814/15- Fantine and friends pair up with Love 'em Leave 'em boys (1817 minus 2 years of fun). Fantine gets pregnant? Cosette born?

1817: The boys abandon the girls?

1818: Fantine stays afloat for a few months, but can't survive, so she heads to M-sur-M, leaving Cosette (almost 3) at the Thenn inn?

Does this sound right?