A single fault is not vice; and after all, it is only those who do nothing that are never deceived." Agathe's despair overcame her so much that Joseph and the Descoings were obliged to lessen Philippe's wrong-doings by assuring her that such things happened in all families.
"But he is twenty-eight years old," cried Agathe, "he is no longer a child." Terrible revelation of the inward thought of the poor woman on the conduct of her son.
"Mother, I assure you he thought only of your sufferings and of the wrong he had done you," said Joseph.
"Oh, my God! let him come back to me, let him live, and I will forgive all," cried the poor mother, to whose mind a horrible vision of Philippe dragged dead out of the river presented itself.
Gloomy silence reigned for a short time.

The day went by with cruel alternations of hope and fear; all three ran to the window at the least sound, and gave way to every sort of conjecture.

While the family were thus grieving, Philippe was quietly getting matters in order at his office.

He had the audacity to give in his accounts with a statement that, fearing some accident, he had retained eleven hundred francs at his own house for safe keeping.

The scoundrel left the office at five o'clock, taking five hundred francs more from the desk, and coolly went to a gambling-house, which he had not entered since his connection with the paper, for he knew very well that a cashier must not be seen to frequent such a place.