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 THE EMBEZZLER
 
 THE 
 EMBEZZLER 
 
 By 
 EMILE ZOLA 
 
 THE WARREN PRESS 
 New York
 
 COPYRIGHT 1911, BY 
 THE WARDEN PRIM
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 > 
 
 i*i u 
 
 IT was nine o'clock. The little town of 
 Vauchamp had retired for the night, 
 silent and black, beneath an icy Novem- 
 ber rain. In Des Recollets Street, one of 
 the narrowest and most deserted streets of 
 the Saint-Jean quarter, a light shone in a 
 window of an old house, from the broken 
 gutters of which torrents of water gushed. 
 It was Madame Burle who was sitting be- 
 fore a scant wood fire, while her grandson, 
 Charles, studied his lessons by the pale light 
 of the lamp. 
 
 539201
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 The apartment, rented for sixty francs a 
 year, was composed of four enormous rooms 
 that it was impossible to heat. Madame 
 Burle slept in the largest room ; her son, the 
 captain-treasurer, had taken the room over- 
 looking the street/ near the dining-room; 
 and little Charles, in his small iron bed, 
 was lost in the depths of an immense draw- 
 ing-room with mildewed hangings, which 
 was not used. The few articles of furniture 
 belonging to Captain Burle and his mother, 
 massive mahogany of the Empire period, 
 that the frequent moving from one barrack 
 to another had indented and robbed of their 
 copper trimmings, were dwarfed beneath 
 the high ceilings, from which seemed to fall 
 a fine shadowy dust. The tiled floor, painted 
 red, cold and hard, froze one's feet; and, 
 in front of the chairs, there was nothing but 
 small squares of worn-out carpet betokening
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 a shivering poverty in this desert through 
 which every wind whistled by way of the dis- 
 jointed doors and windows. 
 
 Near the fireplace, Madame sat in the 
 depths of her yellow velvet armchair, watch- 
 ing the smoking remnant of a log with the 
 fixed gaze of old people who live their lives 
 over within themselves. She remained in 
 this position days at a time, with her tall 
 figure and her long serious face, the lips of 
 which never relaxed into a smile. Widow of 
 a colonel who died on the eve of his becom- 
 ing a general, mother of a captain whom 
 she had accompanied even in his campaigns, 
 she preserved a military stiffness and she 
 had formed ideas of duty, honor, and pat- 
 riotism that held her rigid, as if withered 
 beneath the severity of discipline. When her 
 son became a widower, after five years of 
 marriage, she had naturally undertaken the
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 bringing up of Charles with the strictness 
 of a sergeant charged with the instruction 
 of recruits. She watched over the child, 
 not tolerating a caprice nor an irregularity, 
 forcing him to sit up till midnight, and sit- 
 ting up herself, if his tasks were not finished. 
 Charles, of a delicate temperament, grew up 
 very pale under that unswerving discipline, 
 his face lighted by beautiful eyes, too large 
 and too bright. 
 
 In her long silences, Madame turned over 
 and over but one idea, her son had betrayed 
 her hopes. That sufficed to occupy her 
 thoughts, causing her to relive her life from 
 the birth of her little one, whom she had 
 seen attaining the highest grades in the 
 midst of a tumult of glory, to this narrow 
 existence in barracks, these sad and monot- 
 onous days that fall to the post of captain- 
 treasurer beyond which he would never rise 
 
 8
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 and in which he was becoming heavy and 
 dull. But the beginning of his career had 
 filled her with pride; for an instant, she 
 could have believed her dream realized. 
 Burle had hardly left St. Cyr when he dis- 
 tinguished himself at the battle of Solferino 
 by capturing, with a handful of men, a bat- 
 tery of the enemy's. He was decorated ; the 
 papers spoke of his heroism; he was known 
 as one of the bravest soldiers in the army. 
 And, slowly, the hero grew fat, succumbed to 
 his flesh, happy, slack, and cowardly. In 
 1870, he was only captain. He was taken 
 prisoner in the first engagement. He re- 
 turned from Germany furious, swearing that 
 they should not send him to war again. As 
 he could not quit the army, ignorant of any 
 trade, he succeeded in securing the post of 
 captain-treasurer, a niche in which, he said, 
 they would at least allow him a peaceful
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 death. That day, Madame Burle had ex- 
 perienced a terrible anguish. It was finish- 
 ed, and she had never since relaxed from 
 her rigid attitude. 
 
 The wind rushed through the street, a 
 wave of rain dashed against the windows. 
 The old woman raised her eyes from the 
 smouldering vine-roots to assure herself that 
 Charles had not fallen asleep over his Latin 
 translation. That twelve-year-old child had 
 renewed a supreme hope to which was linked 
 her stubborn desire for glory. At first, she 
 had hated him with all the hate she felt for 
 his mother, a little lace-maker, pretty and 
 delicate, that the captain, mad with desire 
 and not being able to make her his mistress, 
 had married. 
 
 Then, the mother dead and the father wal- 
 lowing in his vices, Madame Burle had re- 
 newed her dreaming over this poor sickly
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 being that she was bringing up with diffi- 
 culty. She wanted him strong; he should 
 be the hero that Burle refused to be; and, 
 in her severe coldness, she anxiously 
 watched him grow, feeling of his limbs, im- 
 pressing courage upon his mind. Little by 
 little, blinded by her passion, she believed 
 that at last she had the man of her family. 
 The child, of a tender and dreamy nature, 
 had a physical horror of military career; 
 but, as his grandmother inspired him with 
 terror, and as he was very gentle and obed- 
 ient, he repeated what she said, appearing 
 resigned to becoming a soldier some day. 
 
 In the meanwhile, Madame Burle noticed 
 that the translation was not getting on. 
 Charles, lulled by the noise of the storm, 
 drowsed, pen in hand and his eyes open. 
 She rapped with her stiff fingers upon the 
 edge of the table; he started and opened his 
 
 IS
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 dictionary, turning the leaves feverishly. 
 Still silent, the old woman poked the black- 
 ened roots in an attempt to relight the fire, 
 but without success. 
 
 In the past when she still believed in 
 her son, she had despoiled herself, he had 
 squandered her little income in the vices 
 that she dared not probe. Even now, he 
 was emptying the house, everything was 
 going to the street. Within, there was pov- 
 erty, bare rooms, cold viands. She never 
 spoke of these things to him, for, with her 
 respect for discipline, he remained the mas- 
 ter of the house. Only, at times, she was 
 seized with a shudder at the thought that 
 Burle might commit some folly that would 
 prevent Charles from entering the army. 
 
 She rose to fetch a dried vine branch 
 from the kitchen, when a terrific gust shook 
 the doors, tore off a shutter, and drove the
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 water from the broken gutters in a torrent 
 against the windows. And in the midst of 
 this tumult, the door-bell rang. Who could 
 be calling at such an hour and in such 
 weather? Burle never came in, when he did 
 come home, until after midnight. She open- 
 ed the door. An officer appeared, soaked, 
 bursting with curses. 
 
 "Sacred name of God! What dog's 
 weather !" 
 
 It was Major Laguitte, a brave old sol- 
 dier who had served under Colonel Burle, 
 in Madame Burle's better days. Starting 
 out as the child of the troop, he had attained 
 through his bravery rather than his intelli- 
 gence, the grade of chief of battalion, when 
 an infirmity, a contraction of the muscles 
 of his thigh, the result of a wound, had 
 forced him to accept the post of major. Ho 
 limped slightly ; but it would not do to tell 
 13
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 him so to his face, for he refused to admit 
 it. 
 
 "It is you, Major?" exclaimed Madame 
 Burle, more and more astonished. 
 
 "Yes, by God!" growled Laguitte. "And 
 I must care a lot for you to run the streets 
 in that damned rain! Why, you wouldn't 
 put a parson out in such weather!" 
 
 He shook himself; pools formed on the 
 floor from his boots. Then, he looked around 
 him. 
 
 "I must absolutely see Burle. Is he al- 
 ready in bed, that loafer?" 
 
 "No; he hasn't come in yet," said the old 
 woman in her hard voice. 
 
 The major flew into a rage. 
 
 "What! Not come in! Then they were 
 
 making a fool of me, at his cafe, at Mela- 
 
 me's, you understand. I went there, and a 
 
 maid laughed in my face, telling me that the 
 
 14
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 captain had gone to bed. Ah! the devil! 
 I felt that, I wanted to pull her ears !" 
 
 He calmed down; he stamped about the 
 room, undecided, upset. Madame Burle 
 watched him steadily. 
 
 "You wish to speak to the captain him- 
 self?" she asked finally. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Can't I give him your message?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 She did not insist. But she remained 
 standing, always watching the major who 
 could not seem to decide to go. At last, his 
 anger surged up again. 
 
 "Well, so much the worse! As I have 
 come here, you might as well know about 
 it. It will be all the better, perhaps." 
 
 And he seated himself before the grate 
 stretching out his muddy boots as if a bright 
 fire were burning. Madame Burle was about 
 is
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 to return to her armchair when she perceived 
 that Charles, vanquished by fatigue, had 
 let his head drop between the open pages of 
 his book. The major's entrance had roused 
 him ; then, seeing that no attention was paid 
 to him, he succumbed to sleep. His grand- 
 mother started towards him to rap his deli- 
 cate hands that seemed to bleach in the 
 lamplight, when Laguitte stopped her. 
 
 "No, no; let that poor little man sleep. 
 It isn't so amusing; he needn't hear it." 
 
 The old woman reseated herself. A si- 
 lence ensued. The two looked at each other. 
 
 "Well ! It has happened !" said the major 
 at last. "That scoundrel, Burle, has done 
 it." 
 
 Madame Burle did not start. She paled, 
 but she sat more erect than ever in her 
 armchair. The major continued, 
 
 16
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "I had my suspicions. I had promised 
 myself to speak to you some day. Burle was 
 spending too much; besides he had an idi- 
 otic expression that I did not like. But I 
 never could have believed .... Ah! Good 
 God! A man must be a fool to do such 
 things!" 
 
 And he struck his knee fiercely with his 
 fist, strangled with indignation. The old 
 woman had to ask him a straight question. 
 
 "He has stolen?" 
 
 "You cannot imagine the thing. I never 
 verified anything. I approved his accounts; 
 I gave my signature. Only, when there was 
 to be an inspection, on account of the colo- 
 nel, who is a maniac, I said to him, 'Old 
 man, look over your cash-box, I am re- 
 sponsible for it.' . . . And I was quite easy. 
 However, within the last month, as he looked 
 so queer and I heard nasty stories, I looked 
 more carefully into his books. Everything 
 seemed to be regular, very well kept. . . . ' ' 
 
 17
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 He stopped, carried away by such a gust of 
 fury that he had to relieve himself on the 
 spot. 
 
 "Name of God ! Name of God ! It is not 
 his crookedness that angers me, it is the 
 disgusting way he has acted toward me. He 
 has made a goat of me, do you hear, 
 Madame Burle? Damn it! Does he take 
 me for an old fool?" 
 
 "Then, he has stolen?" again asked Mad- 
 ame Burle. 
 
 "This evening," resumed the major, some- 
 what quieted, "I was leaving the table when 
 Gagneux came up. You know Gagneux, 
 the butcher at the corner of the Herbes 
 Square. Another dirty rascal, who has the 
 contract for the meat and foists on our men 
 all the old dead cows of the county. Well ! 
 I received him like a dog, when he unfolded 
 the secret. A nice mess! It seems that 
 
 18
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 Burle paid him only in instalments. Such 
 underhand work! Such a confusion of fig- 
 ures that the devil himself couldn't find his 
 way! Briefly, Burle owes him two thou- 
 sand francs, and the butcher threatens to 
 tell the colonel everything, if he isn't paid. 
 The worst of it is that that pig, Burle, to 
 mix me up in it, gave me a false receipt 
 every week that he boldly signed with Gag- 
 neux's name. And this trick he played on 
 me, me, his old friend ! Good God !" 
 
 The major rose, threw his arms and 
 clenched fists toward the ceiling, and fell 
 back again into his chair. Madame Burle 
 repeated again, 
 
 "He has stolen. It must be that." 
 
 Then, without a word of judgment or con- 
 demnation of her son, she added simply, 
 
 "Two thousand francs. But we haven't 
 got them. There are perhaj>8 thirty francs 
 here."
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "I suspected it," said Laguitte. "And do 
 you know where all that goes? To Milanie, 
 a damned jade who has made an idiot of 
 Burle. . . . Oh! the women! I said they 
 would break him! I don't know what that 
 animal is made of! He is only five years 
 younger than I, and he is still burning with 
 passion ! What a beastly temperament !" 
 
 There was another silence. Outside, the 
 rain increased, and one could hear, in the 
 little sleeping town, the noise of chimney- 
 pots and tiles that the storm dashed to the 
 paving-stones. 
 
 "Well," said the major, rising, "it doesn't 
 arrange matters to stay here. I have in- 
 formed you, so I am going." 
 
 "What is to be done? To whom can one 
 turn?" murmured the old woman. 
 
 "Don't despair. We shall see. If I only 
 had those two thousand francs! But you 
 know that I am not rich."
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 He stopped, embarassed. He, a bachelor, 
 drank little, but lost at cards what cognac 
 and absinthe saved him. With that, he was 
 very honest. 
 
 "Never mind !" he continued on the thresh- 
 old. "I am going just the same to make a 
 row at that wench's. I will move heaven 
 and earth. Burle, the son of Burle, con- 
 victed of theft! That would mean the end 
 of the world! I would rather blow up the 
 town. And, for God's sake, don't take it to 
 heart ! It is still more vexing for me !" 
 
 He shook hands roughly, and disappeared 
 in the shadows of the stairway while she 
 lighted him with the lamp. When she set 
 the lamp upon the table, in the silence and 
 the bareness of the vast room, she stood a 
 moment motionless before Charles who still 
 slept, with his face l>etween the leaves of 
 his dictionary. It was the head of a girl,
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 with its long fair hair. She gave a sharp 
 rap on his hand, saying : 
 
 "Charles, your translation." 
 
 The child awoke, bewildered, shivering, 
 and began rapidly turning the leaves of the 
 dictionary. At this moment, Major Laguitte 
 who slammed the street door, received upon 
 his head such a torrent of water that he 
 could be heard swearing above the roar of 
 the tempest. Then, in the midst of the down- 
 pour, there was no other sound than the 
 scratching of Charles' pen on the paper. 
 Madame Burle had resumed her place be- 
 fore the fireplace, her eyes upon the cind- 
 ers, with her old fixed idea and her cus- 
 tomary attitude.
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 II. 
 
 The Cafe de Paris, run by the widow Mad- 
 ame Melanie Cartier, was on Palace Square, 
 a large irregular space planted with dusty 
 elms. At Vauchamp, one asked, "Are you 
 coming to Melanie's?" 
 
 At the end of the first room, which was 
 quite large, there was another, the "divan," 
 very narrow and furnished with leather-cov- 
 ered settees along the walls and four marble- 
 topped tables in the corners. It was there 
 that Melanie, deserting her counter where
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 she had installed her maid, Phrasine, passed 
 the evenings with several habitues, the inti- 
 mate customers, those that were called in the 
 town "Those gentlemen of the divan." That 
 was a mark of distinction. 
 
 Madame Cartier was left a widow at 
 twenty-five years. Her husband, a wheel- 
 wright, who had startled Vauchamp by 
 taking the Cafe de Paris on the death of an 
 uncle, had returned with her, one fine morn- 
 ing, from Montpellier, where he went every 
 eix months for his liquors. He furnished 
 his house. He had doubtless chosen the sort 
 of woman he wanted, engaging and good for 
 his business. No one ever knew where he 
 had picked her up; he did not marry her 
 until he had tried her behind the counter for 
 six months. Opinions in Vauchamp were 
 divided some considered her superb, others 
 called her a gendarme. She was a large wo- 
 24
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 man, with large features and coarse hair 
 that fell over her eyebrows. But no one 
 denied her power to twist the men around 
 her finger. She had fine eyes that she made 
 use of to gaze fixedly at those gentlemen of 
 the divan, and they paled and became su- 
 pine. 
 
 Carrier's death was singular. There was 
 a rumor that there had been a quarrel be- 
 tween husband and wife, and that a gather- 
 ing had formed as a result of a kick in the 
 abdomen. Besides, Melanie found herself 
 much embarassed, for the cafe was not pros- 
 pering. The wheelwright had dissipated his 
 uncle's money in drinking absinthe and play- 
 Ing billiards. It was thought that she would 
 be obliged to sell. But that life pleased her. 
 She needed only a few regular customers, 
 the big room could remain empty. She had 
 the divan papered in white and gold and the
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 settees re-upholstered in leather. At first, 
 she kept company there with a druggist; 
 then came a manufacturer of vermicelli, a 
 lawyer, a retired magistrate. And thus it 
 came about that the cafe remained open, al- 
 though the waiter did not serve twenty 
 drinks a day. The authorities tolerated the 
 establishment, because the proprieties were 
 always observed, and many respectable peo- 
 ple would have found themselves compro- 
 mised. 
 
 Of an evening, in the large room, four or 
 five small landlords of the quarters had a 
 game of dominoes. As the waiter became 
 superfluous, Melanie discharged him. It 
 was Phrasine who lighted the one gas jet 
 in the corner for the small landlords. Mean- 
 while, Melanie herself served the gentlemen 
 of the divan, amiable without taking liber- 
 ties, permitting herself only in hours of 
 
 86
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 abandonment to lean upon a shoulder of one 
 of them, in order to follow a delicate play 
 of ecarte. 
 
 One evening, these gentlemen, who had 
 ended by tolerating each other, were dis- 
 agreeably surprised to find Captain Bnrle 
 installed in the divan. He had come in, by 
 chance, in the morning, to drink a vermouth, 
 and he had talked with Melanie. When he 
 returned in the evening, Phrasine immedi- 
 ately showed him into the little room. 
 
 Two days later, Burle reigned without 
 having driven off either the druggist, or the 
 vermicelli manufacturer, or the lawyer, or 
 the retired magistrate. The captain, short 
 and broad, adored big women. So Melanie, 
 with her handsome body, took him by storm. 
 At the end of two weeks, he had fallen into 
 the bewildered state of a fat lover who is 
 gnawed by desire without growing thin.
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 His little eyes, buried in the middle of his 
 puffy face, followed the widow about with 
 the expression of a beaten dog's. He for- 
 got himself in continual ecstasy before that 
 mannish face with its wiry hair. For fear 
 of her displeasure, he tolerated those gentle- 
 men of the divan and gave her his pay to 
 the last cent. It was a sergeant who pro- 
 nounced the word on the situation, "Burle 
 has found his hole, and he will stay in it." 
 A buried man! 
 
 It was nearly ten o'clock when Major 
 Laguitte again opened furiously the door of 
 the Cafe de Paris. The major, soaked to 
 the skin, leaving a stream behind him, went 
 straight up to the bar, where Phrasine was 
 reading a novel. 
 
 "Hussy!" he cried. "So you make sport 
 of soldiers? You deserve . . ." 
 
 38
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 And he raised his hand, describing a 
 blow that would have felled an ox. The 
 little maid drew back, frightened, while the 
 bourgeois, amazed, turned their heads with- 
 out understanding. But the major wasted 
 no time, he pushed open the door to the 
 divan, and threw himself between Burle and 
 Melanie at the very moment that the latter 
 was giving sips of grog to the captain much 
 as one feeds a canary. Only the magistrate 
 and the druggist had ventured out that even- 
 ing and they had gone home early, being de- 
 pressed. Melanie, being in need of three 
 hundred francs for the next day, took ad- 
 vantage of the occasion to practice her coax- 
 ing ways. 
 
 "Come! the darling of his mother! Open 
 
 thy beak! It is good, isn't it, little pig?" 
 The captain, very red and blear-eyed, sip- 
 ped the spoon with an expression of pro- 
 found enjoyment.
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "For God's sake!" exclaimed the major. 
 "Are you being taken care of by females 
 these days?" 
 
 Burle, pushing aside the grog, had shud- 
 dered. With an irritated movement, Me- 
 lanie had come forward as if to protect him 
 with her large body. But Laguitte looked 
 her in the eye with a tranquil and resolute 
 air that threatened women well know means 
 a blow. 
 
 "Leave us," he said simply. 
 
 She hesitated a second, then, white with 
 rage, she rejoined Phrasine. 
 
 When they were at last alone, Major 
 Laquitte planted himself in front of Cap- 
 tain Burle ; then, folding his arms, he leaned 
 forward and shouted in the other's face, 
 
 "You dirty hound!" 
 
 The captain, upset, tried to retort, but 
 he hadn't time.
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "Shut up ! You have played a dirty trick 
 on a friend! You have stuck me with false 
 receipts that could send us both to the gal- 
 leys!" 
 
 Burle, fallen back in his chair, was livid. 
 A feverish tremor shook his limbs. The 
 major continued, walking around him and 
 striking the tables with his fist. 
 
 "You have stolen like a quill-driver, and 
 for that big camel ! If your had stolen for 
 your mother, there would be some honor in 
 it But, good God ! they starve at home and 
 you bring your money to this joint! Are 
 you crazy, at your age to take up with such 
 a gendarme? Now, don't lie! I saw you 
 a moment ago at your dirty play !" 
 
 Burle was silent, staring, with an im- 
 becile expression. 
 
 "And not a radish !" resumed the major. 
 "Aha! can you see yourself between two 
 gendarmes, you dirty scoundrel?"
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 He calmed down, and taking the captain 
 by the wrist, raised him up. 
 
 "Come along ! We've got to do something 
 right away, for I can't sleep with that on 
 my stomach. I have an idea." 
 
 In the large room, Melanie and her maid, 
 Phrasine, were talking earnestly. When 
 she saw the two men, Melanie came for- 
 ward, saying to Burle in a cooing voice, 
 
 "Why, captain, are you going already?" 
 
 "Yes, he is going," responded Laguitte, 
 brutally. "And I am pretty sure he'll never 
 again put his foot into this filthy hole !" 
 
 The little maid, frightened, plucked her 
 mistress's dress. She had the misfortune 
 to murmur the word "drunkard." On the 
 instant, the major let fly the blow that had 
 been burning his hand. The two women 
 dodged and he only grazed Phrasine's head, 
 flattening her cap and breaking a comb.
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 The little landlords were very indignant. 
 Lagnitte exclaimed, 
 
 "For God's sake! let's get out, or I'll 
 knock down every one in the place!" 
 
 Outside, in order to cross the square, they 
 waded through water above their ankles. 
 The rain streamed down their faces. While 
 the captain proceeded in silence, the major 
 again heaped reproaches upon him. A nice 
 time, wasn't it, to be running about the 
 streets? If he hadn't committed that crimi- 
 nal folly, the two of them might have been 
 in their warm beds. Then, he spoke of 
 Gagneux. A scoundrel whose rotten meat 
 had twice given the whole regiment a colic. 
 In a week, his contract would expire, and 
 he would need the devil's help to get it again. 
 
 "It depends on me, I choose whom I 
 want," growled the major. "I would rather 
 cut off my arm than help that poisoner to 
 make another cent !" 
 
 33
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 He slipped, fell into a puddle up to his 
 knees, and, strangled with curses, he add- 
 ed, 
 
 "You know, I am going now to see him. 
 I'll go up, you wait at the door, I want to 
 find out what that toad has in his belly, and 
 if he would dare go to the colonel to-mor- 
 row, as he threatens. A butcher ! Good God ! 
 To compromise one's self with a butcher! 
 Ah ! you are not proud, you !" 
 
 They reached Herbes Square. Gagneux's 
 house was quite dark, but Laguitte knocked 
 violently, and, at last the door was opened. 
 Left alone in the thick night, Captain Burle 
 did not think of seeking shelter. He re- 
 mained at the corner of the market-place, 
 standing in the rain, his head filled with a 
 buzzing that prevented his thinking. When 
 the major came out at the end of an hour, 
 it seemed to the captain that he had only 
 just gone in. 
 
 34
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 Laguitte said nothing. Burle did not dare 
 question him. Then, they began to follow 
 the obscure streets, where the water flowed 
 in torrents. As they again passed the Cafe 
 de Paris, the major tapped the captain's 
 shoulder and said, 
 
 If you ever go into that joint again ..." 
 
 "Don't be afraid!" answered the captain. 
 
 And he held out his hand, but Laguitte 
 continued, 
 
 "No; I'll accompany you to your door. 
 Then, I'll be sure of you for this night any- 
 way." 
 
 When they turned into Des Recollets 
 Street, they slowed up. Then, in front of 
 the door, after taking out his key, the cap- 
 tain felt he must know what to expect. 
 
 "Well?" he asked. 
 
 "Well !" answered the major, roughly. "I 
 am a low crook like you ! Yes, I have done 
 
 M
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 a dirty job ! May the devil take you ! Our 
 poor soldiers will have to eat rotten meat for 
 another three months!" 
 
 And he explained that Gagneux, that dis- 
 gusting Gagneux, had forced him into a 
 bargain. Gagneux would not report to the 
 colonel, he would even make a present of 
 the two thousand francs by giving genuine 
 receipts for the false ones. But, in return, 
 he demanded of the major the meat contract, 
 and the bargain was struck. 
 
 "God! What nasty work, you animal, for 
 two thousand francs!" 
 
 Burle, strangled with emotion, had seized 
 his old friend's hand. He could only sputter 
 his thanks. The detestable bargain that the 
 major was forced to make in order to save 
 him affected him to tears. 
 
 "It is the first time," said the major, "and 
 it had to be done. Only, don't begin again, 
 or I'll be damned if I do it a second time!" 
 36
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 The captain embraced him. When he 
 went in, the major remained at the door to 
 make sure that he had gone to bed. Then, 
 as midnight sounded and the rain still beat 
 down, he went painfully homeward. The 
 thought of his men rent his heart, and, in a 
 changed voice, full of tender pity, he ex- 
 claimed, 
 
 "The poor devils ! They have to eat dead 
 cow, all for two thousand francs!"
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 III. 
 
 The regiment was in a state of stupefac- 
 tion. Burle had broken with Melanie. At 
 the end of a week, the thing was proved to 
 be undeniable. The captain no longer put 
 foot within the Cafe de Paris. It was said 
 that the druggist had slipped into his warm 
 place, to the sorrow of the retired magis- 
 trate. 
 
 And, more incredible still, Captain Burle 
 
 lived shut up in Des Recollets Street. He 
 
 was reformed to the extent of passing his 
 
 evenings by the fireside, listening to little 
 
 38
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 Charles' lessons. His mother, who had 
 not breathed a word of his transactions with 
 Gagneux, maintained her severe erectness; 
 but her glances said that she believed him 
 cured. 
 
 Two weeks later, the major came one even- 
 ing to invite himself to dinner. He felt a 
 certain embarassment in meeting Burle 
 again. Yet, as the captain had pulled up, 
 he wished to clasp his hand and break bread 
 with him. 
 
 Burle was in his room when Laguitte ar- 
 rived. Madame Burle received him. After 
 saying that he had come to dinner, he low- 
 ered his voice. 
 
 "Well !" he asked. 
 
 "Everything is going better." 
 
 "Nothing suspicious?" 
 
 "Nothing. ... He goes to bed at nine 
 o'clock, is never out, and looks happy." 
 
 39
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "Ah, that's fine !" said the major. "I knew 
 he only needed a shaking-up. He still has 
 a heart, the animal !" 
 
 When Burle appeared, he gripped his 
 hands. And, in front of the fireplace, be- 
 fore dinner, they talked together frankly, 
 lauding the domestic life. The captain de- 
 clared that he would not give his home for 
 a kingdom. The major approved, the while 
 examining him. Certainly, his good beha- 
 vior did not take off the fat. He was still 
 bloated, with puffed eyes and thick lips. He 
 drowsed in his chair, repeating, 
 
 "Family life, there is nothing like it !" 
 
 "It's all very well," said the major, anx- 
 ious at seeing him so broken, "but exaggera- 
 tion is a bad thing. You should take exer- 
 cise. Go once in a while to the cafe." 
 
 "To the cafe? What for? I have every- 
 thing I need right here." 
 40
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 Charles gathered up his books, and the 
 major was surprised to see a maid come in 
 to set the table. 
 
 "So you have a maid?" he said to Madame 
 Burle. 
 
 "I had to," she answered, sighing. "My 
 legs are giving out and the house is not 
 properly taken care of. Fortunately, old 
 Cabrol let me have his daughter. You know 
 old Cabrol, the old man who sweeps the 
 market. He didn't know what to do with 
 Rose. I am teaching her to cook." 
 
 "How old is she?" asked the major. 
 
 "Not yet seventeen. She is stupid and 
 dirty. But I give her only ten francs a 
 month and she eats nothing but soup." 
 
 When Rose came in again with a pile of 
 plates, Laguitte, who was not much interest- 
 ed in girls, followed her with his eyes, as- 
 tonished to find one so ugly. She was small, 
 41
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 very dark, slightly hunchbacked, with a 
 monkey face in which little green eyes 
 gleamed. Her nose was flat and her mouth 
 large and wide. Her lips being broad and 
 her arms long, she gave the impression of 
 being very strong. 
 
 "Good God! What a face!" said La- 
 guitte, amused, when the maid went out. 
 
 "Bah !" murmured Burle, carelessly. "She 
 is very willing. She is good enough for 
 washing dishes." 
 
 The dinner was charming. The men told 
 Charles stories of his college. Madame 
 Burle, to show him off, asked him several 
 times, "Don't you want to be a soldier?" 
 And a smile passed over his white lips, as 
 he answered with the cringing obedience of 
 a dog, "Yes, grandma." 
 
 Rose, heavy-heeled, served without speak- 
 ing, until the end of the dinner. Then,
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 standing beside the captain, who seemed ab- 
 sorbed, she said in a hoarse voice, 
 
 "Will monsieur have some cheese?" 
 
 "What?" said Burle, starting. Ah! yes; 
 the cheese. Hold the plate tight !" 
 
 He cut a piece, while the little maid be- 
 side him looked at him with her narrow eyes. 
 Laguitte laughed. Rose amused him enor- 
 mously. He lowered his voice, as he mur- 
 mured in the captain's ear, 
 
 "Do you know, she fascinates me. I didn't 
 auppose such a nose and mouth existed. 
 Send her to the colonel some day, she will 
 divert him." 
 
 Her ugliness inspired a paternal attitude 
 on the major's part. 
 
 "Well, my girl! I want some cheese, 
 too." 
 
 She offered him the plate; and he, the 
 knife planted in the cheese, forgot what he 
 
 43
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 was doing in examining her. Rose, very 
 serious, submitted to his scrutiny and waited 
 patiently until the gentleman should get 
 through laughing at her. 
 
 She cleared the table and disappeared. 
 Burle dropped off into a nap immediately, 
 while Madame Burle and the major talked. 
 Charles went on with his lessons. At nine 
 o'clock, Burle awoke yawning and an- 
 nounced that he was going to bed. He beg- 
 ged pardon, but his eyes closed in spite of 
 him. When the major took his leave, a half- 
 hour later, Madame Burle vainly sought 
 Rose to light him downstairs. She must 
 have gone to bed; she was a regular hen, 
 that girl, sleeping like a log for twelve 
 hours. 
 
 "Don't bother," said the major. "My legs 
 are no better than yours, but by holding on 
 to the banisters, I shall not break any bones. 
 
 44
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 Well, dear lady, I am so happy! I have 
 studied Burle and I am convinced that he is 
 not np to any tricks. It certainly was time 
 for him to leave petticoats alone." 
 
 In that conversation, what most pleased 
 the major was that he no longer had to veri- 
 fy the captain's accounts. Nothing wearied 
 him like looking over a pile of papers. Now 
 that Burle was straight, the major could 
 smoke his pipe and affix his signature with 
 his eyes closed. However, he always kept 
 one eye primed. The receipts were genuine, 
 the totals balanced ; there was no irregular- 
 ity. But, one morning, not as the result 
 of suspicion but merely because he was re- 
 lighting his pipe, his eye lingered over an 
 addition. He discovered a discrepancy of 
 thirteen francs. lie did not mention it to 
 Burle, he promused himself to be on hiH 
 guard. The following week, there was an- 
 
 41
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 other error, nineteen francs. So, seized 
 with anxiety, he shut himself up with the 
 books. He spent an abominable morning 
 going over the accounts, sweating, swearing, 
 his head bursting with figures. And, at each 
 addition, he discovered a theft of a few 
 francs. It was miserable, ten francs, eight 
 francs, eleven francs. Toward the end, there 
 were as few as four and three francs, and on 
 one bill, Burle had substracted only a franc 
 and a half. 
 
 "Good God !" exclaimed the major. "This 
 is a dirtier piece of work than the other! 
 The false receipts of Gagneux were bold; 
 while, this time, he is as despicable as a 
 cook that steals a couple of cents from her 
 marketing money!" 
 
 The shameful insignificance of the sums 
 filled him with indignation, and he was fur- 
 ious to think he had been duped a second
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 time by methods so stupid and so simple. 
 He added up the stolen amounts, which 
 came to a total of five hundred and forty- 
 five francs. The inspection was approach- 
 ing; it was only necessary for that maniac 
 of a colonel to go over an addition, and the 
 whole thing would be exposed. This time, 
 Burle was lost. That idea calmed the major. 
 He did not swear; he remained as if frozen, 
 with the image of Madame Burle, erect and 
 despairing, before him. 
 
 "Come, come!" he murmured. "First of 
 all, I must see clearly into the affairs of 
 that scoundrel. Afterwards, it will be time 
 enough to act." 
 
 He went to Burle's office. From the pave- 
 ment opposite, he saw a skirt disappearing 
 through the doorway. Thinking he was on 
 the scent, he slipped quietly up and listened. 
 It was Melanie. She complained of the gen-
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 tlemen of the divan ; she spoke of a bill that 
 she had not the money to pay; the sheriff 
 was at the cafe; everything would be sold 
 off. Then, as the captain answered coldly 
 that he had nt a cent, she burst into tears. 
 Then she tried her old seductions, but the 
 dull voice of the captain answered, "Im- 
 possible, impossible!" At the end of an 
 hour, when Melanie went away, she was fur- 
 ious. 
 
 The major, astonished at the turn of af- 
 fairs, waited an instant before entering the 
 office. He found the captain alone and very 
 calm. 
 
 "Wasn't it that carcass of a Melanie that 
 went out as I came in?" demanded the 
 major. 
 
 Burle shrugged his shoulders, murmur- 
 ing, 
 
 "Yes; she came to try and get two hun- 
 ts
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 dred francs out of me. . . . But, not ten 
 francs, not ten sous!" 
 
 "Well," said the other, probing him, "I 
 was told that you still go to see her." 
 
 "I ! Not on your life ! I have had enough 
 of those camels !" 
 
 Laguitte went away very perplexed. To 
 what had the captain applied those five 
 hundred and forty-five francs? Was it pos- 
 sible that the scoundrel had turned from 
 women to drinking and gambling? He 
 promised himself to surprise Burle that 
 evening at home. Perhaps by making him 
 talk and questioning his mother, he would 
 solve the mystery. 
 
 But, that afternoon, he suffered cruelly 
 from his leg. It had been bothering him for 
 some time, and he had been obliged to re- 
 sign himself to the use of a cane. That cane 
 was his despair, he said he was now an 
 
 49
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 invalid. However, with a heroic effort, he 
 got out of his armchair, and leaning heavily 
 upon the cane, he dragged himself to the 
 house in Des Kecollets Street. Nine o'clock 
 struck when he reached it. The street door 
 was ajar, so he went up, stopping on the 
 third landing to catch his breath. The 
 sound of voices on the floor above surprised 
 him, and, out of curiosity, he went up. At 
 the end of a hall to the left, a ray of light 
 came through an open door; but, at the 
 sound of his creaking boots, the door was 
 closed, and he found himself in total dark- 
 ness. 
 
 "This is idiotic!" he said. "It is some 
 cook going to bed." 
 
 However, he advanced as softly as possible 
 and placed his ear against the door. There 
 were two voices. He was spellbound. In 
 the room were that pig of a Burle and that 
 monstrosity, Rose ! 
 
 50
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "You promised me three francs,'' said the 
 latter rudely. Give me three francs!" 
 
 "My darling, I will bring them to you 
 to-morrow," said the captain in a pleading 
 voice. "I couldn't to-day. You know that 
 I always keep my promises." 
 
 "No, give me three francs, or you can go 
 downstairs again." 
 
 She must have been already undressed and 
 seated upon her cot, for it creaked as she 
 moved. The captain strode back and forth. 
 
 "Now, be nice." 
 
 "Will you leave me alone!" cried Rose. 
 "I'll call out! I'll tell the old lady every- 
 thing! Give me three francs!" 
 
 Burle got angry; he cried. Then, to melt 
 her, he took from his pocket a jar of jam 
 that he had smuggled out of his mother's 
 cupboard. Rose accepted it and set to work 
 on it forthwith, using the handle of a fork 
 s
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 that was lying on a chest of drawers. It 
 was very good; but, when the captain 
 thought her conquered, she again repulsed 
 him. 
 
 "What is your jam to me? It is three 
 francs that I want !" 
 
 "You are very unkind to me," said the 
 captain." And I have been so good to you. 
 I gave you a dress and earrings and a watch. 
 You don't even wear my presents." 
 
 "Papa takes care of my things." 
 
 "And all the money you have got out of 
 me?" 
 
 "Papa invests it for me." 
 
 There was a silence. Rose was reflecting. 
 
 "Listen. If you promise to bring me six 
 francs to-morrow evening, I am willing. 
 Get down on your knees and swear to bring 
 me six francs!"
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 Major Laguitte, shaking with rage, left 
 the door and went to lean against the ban- 
 isters. His legs were trembling, and he 
 brandished his cane like a sabre in the shad- 
 ow of the stairs. He understood now why 
 that hog stayed at home, and went to bed at 
 nine o'clock. A nice conversion! And 
 with a dirty wench that the lowest among 
 his troopers would not have touched ! 
 
 He went down and rang Madame Burle's 
 bell. At the end of five long minutes, the 
 old lady opened the door. 
 
 *"I beg your pardon," she said, "but I 
 thought that stupid Rose was still there. 
 ... I shall have to go and drag her out of 
 bed." 
 
 The major prevented her going. 
 
 "And Burle?" he asked. 
 
 "Oh ! he is in bed since nine o'clock. Will 
 you knock on his door?" 
 ii
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "No, no; I only wanted to wish you good 
 evening." 
 
 As they passed the captain's door, Mad- 
 ame Burle was surprised to see the key on 
 the outside. 
 
 "Go in," she said. "It is bad for him to 
 sleep so much. It makes him heavy." 
 
 And, before he could stop her, she opened 
 the door and stood petrified upon finding 
 the room unoccupied. Laguitte turned crim- 
 son and looked so foolish that she under- 
 stood suddenly, enlightened by a thousand 
 little happenings. 
 
 "You knew it, you knew it," she stam- 
 mered. "Why didn't you warn me? My 
 God ! In my house, and near his own son, 
 with that dishwasher, that monster! . . . 
 He has stolen again, I feel it." 
 
 She stood erect, white and rigid. Then 
 she added in a hard voice, 
 
 54
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "I wish he were dead !" 
 
 Laguitte took her two hands in his and 
 pressed them sympathetically. Then he fled, 
 for he had a lump rising in his throat. He 
 could have cried. But, by God ! This time 
 he was decided.
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The general inspection was to take place 
 at the end of the month. The major had 
 ten days before him. The next day, he 
 dragged himself to the Cafe de Paris, where 
 he ordered a beer. Melanie turned pale and 
 it was with the fear of receiving a blow that 
 Phrasine served him. He had been there 
 an hour when he saw two officers passing, 
 the commanding officer of the battalion, 
 Morandot, and Captain Doucet. He called 
 to them.
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 ^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^-^^ ^^ ^_ 
 
 "Come in and have a beer." 
 
 When they had been served, Morandot 
 asked the major, 
 
 "Do you come here now?" 
 
 "Tee; the beer is good." 
 
 Captain Doucet closed one eye with a 
 knowing look. 
 
 "Do you belong to the divan, major?" 
 
 Laguitte laughed without answering. 
 Then they chaffed him about Melanie. Turn- 
 ing to the bar and assuming a gracious air, 
 he called out, 
 
 "Madame, some more beers." 
 
 Melanie was so surprised that she got up 
 and served the beer herself. The major de- 
 tained her; he gave her little pats on her 
 hands that rested upon the back of his chair. 
 And she, accustomed to caresses, returned 
 his gallantries. Doucet and Morandot 
 looked at each other. All of a sudden, La- 
 
 57
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 guitte, who had been watching the square, 
 exclaimed, 
 
 "Hello! Burle!" 
 
 "Yes ; it is his hour," said Phrasine, draw- 
 ing near. "The captain passes his after- 
 noons here after leaving the office." 
 
 The major, in spite of his bad leg, stood! 
 up. He drew out a chair. 
 
 "Come on, Burle ! Have a beer !" 
 
 The captain, bewildered, came on mechan- 
 ically. He stopped on the threshold hesi- 
 tating. 
 
 "A beer," ordered the major. 
 
 Then, turning, 
 
 "What is the matter with you? Come on 
 in ! What are you afraid of?" 
 
 When the captain was seated, there was 
 
 a moment's embarassment. Melanie brought 
 
 the beer with trembling hands, beset by the 
 
 constant fear of a scene that would close 
 
 58
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 her establishment. The gallantries of the 
 major were disquieting. She tried to slip 
 away when he invited her to take something 
 with the gentlemen. Bnt the major had 
 already ordered Phrasine to bring a glass of 
 anisette, and Melanie was forced to seat her- 
 self between him and Captain Burle. The 
 major said in a harsh voice, 
 
 "I insist upon respect being shown the 
 ladies. To the health of Madame !" 
 
 Burle, his eyes on his glass, smiled with 
 embarassment. The two other officers, 
 shocked at the idea of drinking thus with 
 the proprietress, rose to go. Fortunately, 
 the room was empty. 
 
 "What! you won't drink with Madame?" 
 said the major rudely to Burle. "At least, 
 be polite." 
 
 And, as Doucet and Morandot again made 
 as if to go, 
 
 S9
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "Wait a moment, we'll go together. . . . 
 It is that animal there who has never known 
 how to behave !" 
 
 The two officers remained standing, 
 transfixed by the sudden anger of the 
 major. Melanie tried to restore peace by 
 resting her hands on the arms of the two 
 men. But Laguitte burst out again. 
 
 "No, leave me alone! Why didn't he 
 drink? I won't allow you to be insulted! 
 Besides, I have had enough of that hog 
 there!" 
 
 Burle, very pale at this insult, rose and 
 said to Borandot, 
 
 "What is the matter with him? He called 
 me in apparently just to make a scene. Is 
 he drunk?" 
 
 "For God's sake!" growled the major. 
 
 Rising in his turn, trembling on his legs, 
 he aimed a blow at the captain with all his 
 60
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 force. Melanie dodged just in time to avoid 
 receiving part of it on the ear. There was 
 a terrible row. Phrasine screamed behind 
 the bar as if she were being beaten. Mean- 
 while, Doucet and Morandot had seized the 
 captain to prevent his jumping at the ma- 
 jor's throat. Outside, they calmed him down 
 by laying all the blame on Laguitte. When 
 they had sent Burle on his way, they re- 
 entered the cafe, where Laguitte, very much 
 affected with tears under the eyelids, pre- 
 tended to be very calm. 
 
 "Listen, major," said the battalion officer, 
 "this is very bad. The captain hasn't your 
 grade, so we cannot authorize him to fight 
 with you." 
 
 "Oh ! we shall see," said the major. 
 
 The next day, the colonel sent for the 
 major and the captain. He lectured them 
 severely, reproaching them with having dis- 
 honored the army in a disreputable place. 
 61
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 What would they do, as he could not au- 
 thorize them to fight? That was the ques- 
 tion that agitated the regiment. Excuses 
 seemed inadequate, on account of the blow; 
 but as Laguitte, on account of his bad leg, 
 could not stand up well, it was thought that 
 a reconciliation would take place, if the 
 colonel demanded it. 
 
 "Now, come," said the colonel, "will you 
 take me for arbiter?" 
 
 "Pardon, colonel," interrupted the major. 
 "I have come to tender my resignation. Here 
 it is. That settles everything. Have the 
 goodness to set the day for the duel." 
 
 Burle looked at him in astonishment. 
 
 "This is very serious," said the colonel. 
 "You have only two years more before re- 
 tiring." 
 
 But again Laguitte interrupted him, say- 
 ing in an obstinate voice, 
 
 6a
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 "That concerns me alone." 
 
 "Oh! perfectly. . . . Well! I shall send 
 in your resignation, and, on the day of its 
 acceptance, I shall fix the day for your meet- 
 ing." 
 
 This turn amazed the regiment. The talk 
 ran on Melanie and her fine figure. All the 
 officers dreamed of her now, fired by the 
 idea that she must be decidedly desirable to 
 set by the ears two old tough hides. The 
 battalion officer, meeting Laguitte, did not 
 conceal his anxiety. If he should not be 
 killed how would he live? For he had no 
 fortune, and it was a question if he would 
 have enough to eat with his pension money 
 cut in half. When the other questioned him 
 at to his animosity toward Burle, he replied 
 with a vague gesture, 
 
 "lie annoyed me, so much the worse." 
 
 Each morning, at the canteen, at the of- 
 63
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 fleers' table, the first words were, 
 "Has the resignation arrived?" 
 The duel was looked forward to, every- 
 one discussed the probable issue. The ma- 
 jority believed that Laguitte would be run 
 through in three seconds. Others shook 
 their heads. Certainly, Laguitte had never 
 been a prodigy of intelligence; he was even 
 cited for his stupidity ; but he was known as 
 the best marksman in the regiment; and he 
 had gained his epaulettes by a sanguinary 
 bravery that seemed without conscience of 
 danger. On the contrary, Burle, an indif- 
 ferent fencer, passed for a coward. Well, 
 they would see. And the emotion increased, 
 for that devilish resignation was a long time 
 coming. 
 
 The most anxious, the most upset, was 
 certainly the major. Eight days went by, 
 the inspection was to take place in two days. 
 64
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 He trembled at the thought of having 
 struck his old friend and handed in his 
 resignation without smothering the scandal. 
 If he were killed, he would be spared the dis- 
 tress, and if he killed Burle, as he intended, 
 the affair would be hushed up right away. 
 He would thus save the honor of the army 
 and little Charles could enter Saint-Cyr. 
 But, great God! Those clerks at the Min- 
 istry would have to hurry up! The major 
 could not stay in one place. He wandered 
 to the post-office, watched the mails, ques- 
 tioned the Colonel's orderly. 
 
 On the eve of the inspection, he started 
 for the colonel's, when he halted on seeing 
 Madame Burle, who was taking Charles to 
 college. He had not seen her since. He 
 stood aside to allow her to pass. Neither 
 spoke, to the great astonishment of Charles. 
 Madame Burle, cold and haughty, brushed 
 *
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 by the major, and, when she had passed, he 
 looked after her with a tender bewilderment. 
 
 "Good God! Am I a man or not?" he 
 growled, forcing back the tears. 
 
 When he reached the colonel's, a captain 
 who was there said, 
 
 "Here it is. It has just arrived." 
 
 "Ah !" he murmured, very pale. 
 
 The duel took place the next morning in 
 the yard of the barracks, behind a little wall. 
 The air was invigorating, a bright sun shone. 
 They were almost obliged to carry Laguitte. 
 One of his witnesses gave him an arm, while 
 he leant heavily on his cane. Burle, his 
 face bloated and yellow, gave the impression 
 of being asleep standing up. Not a word was 
 exchanged. Everyone was in a hurry to 
 have it over with. 
 
 Captain Doucet gave the word, 
 
 "Begin, gentlemen." 
 
 M
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 For ten minutes the swords crossed with 
 their steely sonnd. Then, the captain made 
 a feint. But the major, finding his wrist of 
 other days, parried and, if he had followed 
 with a thrust, Burle would have been pierced 
 through. The latter grew livid, feeling him- 
 self at the mercy of this man who had spared 
 him. He understood now that it was to be 
 an execution. 
 
 Meanwhile, Laguitte, on his bad legs, 
 which had become like stone, waited. The 
 two adversaries eyed each other fixedly. In 
 the troubled eyes of Burle appeared a sup- 
 plication, a prayer for mercy. He knew why 
 he was to die, and, like a child, he swore to 
 be good. But the eyes of the major were im- 
 placable. Honor spoke, and he strangled hia 
 tenderness. 
 
 "Let us end it!" he ground out between 
 his teeth. 
 
 *
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 This time, he attacked. His sword flashed 
 to right and left, and returned to plant it- 
 self in the captain's chest. He fell like a 
 mass, without a cry. 
 
 Laguitte dropped his sword and looked at 
 his poor old friend stretched on his back, 
 with his big stomach in the air. He re- 
 peated, furious and broken with emotion, 
 
 "Good God! Good God!" 
 
 They bore him away. His legs were para- 
 lyzed ; he could not even use his cane. 
 
 Two months later, the major was drag- 
 ging himself along in a deserted street by 
 Vauchamp, when he again found himself 
 face to face with Madame Burle and little 
 Charles. They were in deep mourning. He 
 tried to avoid them, but they walked straight 
 up to him. Charles still had the sweet face 
 of a frightened girl. Madame Burle's face 
 was still severe, even harder and more livid. 
 
 68
 
 THE EMBEZZLER. 
 
 As Laguitte turned under an archway to 
 leave them the entire pavement, she stopped 
 suddenly in front of him and held out her 
 hand. He hesitated, then took it and press- 
 ed it; but he trembled so that he shook the 
 old lady's arm. There was a silence, a mute 
 exchange of glances. 
 
 "Charles," finally said the old lady, "give 
 your hand to the major." 
 
 The child obeyed without understanding. 
 The major was very pale. Feeling that he 
 should say something, he could think of 
 nothing but, "You are still thinking of send- 
 ing him to Saint-Cyr?" 
 
 "Without a doubt, when he is old enough," 
 answered Madame Burle. 
 
 The following week ,Charles succumbed 
 to typhoid fever. One evening, his grand- 
 mother had read to him the combat of the 
 "Vengeur," to help him get well. Be became 
 delirious that night. He died from fear. 
 fc
 
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