Who are Marjolin and Cadine and what role does Mere Chantemesse play in their lives?

Chapter 4 deals extensively with the orphans Marjolin and Cadine's beginnings at Les Halles. No one is certain of Marjolin's origins, as he has always lived at Les Halles. Marjolin always manages to find something to eat and a place to sleep at night. He goes from stall to stall, visiting all the vendors and becomes a child belonging to all of them equally. When he is around four-years-old, Marjolin notices Cadine walking with Mère Chantemesse and decides that he would like to be part of their little "family." Both of them are adopted by Mère Chantemesse; a widow who has lost three sons in infancy.