He was now but a
pitiful human rag, fast approaching some shameful death. And large as his
fortune had been, it had not sufficed him; as he grew older he had
squandered money yet more and more lavishly, immense sums being swallowed
up in disreputable adventures, the scandal of which it had been necessary
to stifle. Thus he at last found himself poor, receiving but a small
portion of the ever-increasing profits of the works, which were in full
prosperity.
This was the disaster which brought so much suffering to Constance in her
incurable pride. Beauchene, since the death of his son, had quite
abandoned himself to a dissolute life, thinking of nothing but his
pleasures, and taking no further interest in his establishment. What was
the use of defending it, since there was no longer an heir to whom it
might be transmitted, enlarged and enriched? And thus he had surrendered
it, bit by bit, to Denis, his partner, whom, by degrees, he allowed to
become the sole master. On arriving at the works, Denis had possessed but
one of the six shares which represented the totality of the property
according to the agreement. And Beauchene had even reserved to himself
the right of repurchasing that share within a certain period.
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