“How’s this?” he said when he had counted up the money.  “There are scarcely seven thousand francs remaining out of seventeen thousand, and we’ve only been together three months.  The thing’s impossible.”

He rushed forward, gave the desk a savage shake and brought the drawer forward in order to ransack it in the light of the lamp.  But it actually contained only six thousand eight hundred and odd francs.  Thereupon the tempest burst forth.

“Ten thousand francs in three months!” he yelled.  “By God!  What have you done with it all?  Eh?  Answer!  It all goes to your jade of an aunt, eh?  Or you’re keeping men; that’s plain!  Will you answer?”

“Oh well, if you must get in a rage!” said Nana.  “Why, the calculation’s easily made!  You haven’t allowed for the furniture; besides, I’ve had to buy linen.  Money goes quickly when one’s settling in a new place.”

But while requiring explanations he refused to listen to them.

“Yes, it goes a deal too quickly!” he rejoined more calmly.  “And look here, little girl, I’ve had enough of this mutual housekeeping.  You know those seven thousand francs are mine.  Yes, and as I’ve got ’em, I shall keep ’em!  Hang it, the moment you become wasteful I get anxious not to be ruined.  To each man his own.”

And he pocketed the money in a lordly way while Nana gazed at him, dumfounded.  He continued speaking complaisantly: 

“You must understand I’m not such a fool as to keep aunts and likewise children who don’t belong to me.  You were pleased to spend your own money—­well, that’s your affair!  But my money—­no, that’s sacred!  When in the future you cook a leg of mutton I’ll pay for half of it.  We’ll settle up tonight—­there!”

Straightway Nana rebelled.  She could not help shouting: 

“Come, I say, it’s you who’ve run through my ten thousand francs.  It’s a dirty trick, I tell you!”

But he did not stop to discuss matters further, for he dealt her a random box on the ear across the table, remarking as he did so: 

“Let’s have that again!”

She let him have it again despite his blow.  Whereupon he fell upon her and kicked and cuffed her heartily.  Soon he had reduced her to such a state that she ended, as her wont was, by undressing and going to bed in a flood of tears.

He was out of breath and was going to bed, in his turn, when he noticed the letter he had written to Georges lying on the table.  Whereupon he folded it up carefully and, turning toward the bed, remarked in threatening accents: 

“It’s very well written, and I’m going to post it myself because I don’t like women’s fancies.  Now don’t go moaning any more; it puts my teeth on edge.”