Julien made the trades-people give him commissions, and the glaziers never put up a pane of glass at a cost of a franc and a half but he had a franc put down to himself.

Charles devoured the horses' oats and doubled the amount of their provender, reselling at the back door what came in at the carriage gate, while amid the general pillage, the sack of the town after the storm, Zoe, by dint of cleverness, succeeded in saving appearances and covering the thefts of all in order the better to slur over and make good her own.

But the household waste was worse than the household dishonesty.

Yesterday's food was thrown into the gutter, and the collection of provisions in the house was such that the servants grew disgusted with it.

The glass was all sticky with sugar, and the gas burners flared and flared till the rooms seemed ready to explode.
Then, too, there were instances of negligence and mischief and sheer accident--of everything, in fact, which can hasten the ruin of a house devoured by so many mouths.