For two months, however,
he had been steadily robbing the cashbox, and by comparing dates the
major found to his disgust that the famous lesson respecting Gagneux
had only kept him straight for one week! This last discovery infuriated
Laguitte, who struck the books with his clenched fists, yelling through
a shower of oaths:
"This is more abominable still! At least there was some pluck about
those forged receipts of Gagneux. But this time he is as contemptible
as a cook charging twopence extra for her cabbages. Powers of hell! To
pilfer a franc and a half and clap it in his pocket! Hasn't the brute
got any pride then? Couldn't he run away with the safe or play the fool
with actresses?"
The pitiful meanness of these pilferings revolted the major, and,
moreover, he was enraged at having been duped a second time, deceived
by the simple, stupid dodge of falsified additions. He rose at last and
paced his office for a whole hour, growling aloud.
"This gives me his measure. Even if I were to thresh him to a jelly
every morning he would still drop a couple of coins into his pocket
every afternoon. But where can he spend it all? He is never seen abroad;
he goes to bed at nine, and everything looks so clean and proper over
there.
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