Indeed, had not there been constantly recurring to his mind the insistent question, "What will my children say ?" he might not have plunged into the affair so deeply.

Nevertheless, like a wary cat which glances hither and thither to see whether its mistress be not coming before it can make off with whatsoever first falls to its paw (butter, fat, lard, a duck, or anything else), so our future founder of a family continued, though weeping and bewailing his lot, to let not a single detail escape his eye.

That is to say, he retained his wits ever in a state of activity, and kept his brain constantly working.

All that he required was a plan.

Once more he pulled himself together, once more he embarked upon a life of toil, once more he stinted himself in everything, once more he left clean and decent surroundings for a dirty, mean existence.