Those who had and those who lacked knocked at M.Myriel's door,--the latter in search of the alms which the former came to deposit.

In less than a year the Bishop had become the treasurer of all benevolence and the cashier of all those in distress.

Considerable sums of money passed through his hands, but nothing could induce him to make any change whatever in his mode of life, or add anything superfluous to his bare necessities.
Far from it.

As there is always more wretchedness below than there is brotherhood above, all was given away, so to speak, before it was received.

It was like water on dry soil; no matter how much money he received, he never had any.