His eldest daughter was not yet married, and never had his four women folk weighed more heavily on his hands.

His life had become a perfect hell; they had ended by beating him, if he did not bring a thousand-franc note home on the first day of every month.
"My article!" Massot replied; "no, it surely won't go in, my dear deputy.
Fonsegue says that it's written in too laudatory a style for the 'Globe.' He asked me if I were having a joke with the paper." Chaigneux became livid.

The article in question was one written in advance, from the society point of view, on the success which Silviane would achieve in "Polyeucte," that evening, at the Comedie.

The journalist, in the hope of pleasing her, had even shown her his "copy"; and she, quite delighted, now relied upon finding the article in print in the most sober and solemn organ of the Parisian press.
"Good heavens! what will become of us ?" murmured the wretched Chaigneux.
"It's absolutely necessary that the article should go in." "Well, I'm quite agreeable.

But speak to the governor yourself.