But more serious trouble declared itself. He was twice snatched away from
certain death. One day, when Denis was returning homewards across the
Grenelle bridge he perceived Morange leaning far over the parapet,
watching the flow of the water, and all ready to make a plunge if he had
not been grasped by his coat-tails. The poor man, on recovering his
self-possession, began to laugh in his gentle way, and talked of having
felt giddy. Then, on another occasion, at the works, Victor Moineaud
pushed him away from some machinery in motion at the very moment when, as
if hypnotized, he was about to surrender himself to its devouring
clutches. Then he again smiled, and acknowledged that he had done wrong
in passing so near to the wheels. After this he was watched, for people
came to the conclusion that he occasionally lost his head. If Denis
retained him as chief accountant, this was, firstly, from a feeling of
gratitude for his long services; but, apart from that matter, the
extraordinary thing was that Morange had never discharged his duties more
ably, obstinately tracing every doubtful centime in his books, and
displaying the greatest accuracy over the longest additions.
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