Answer:
When he was 4-5 years old, a young girl named Elizabeth Lavenza came into his family life. In the 1818 edition, Elizabeth is Victor's cousin who was taken into the family after the death of her mother. In the 1830 edition, she was discovered by Caroline among a group of orphaned children in Italy, adopts the girl and brings her home. Both Victor and Elizabeth grew up together, and they became close companions. Several years later, Victor's two younger brothers were born: Ernest and then the youngest William.