counting and kissing it.

These continual thefts brought trouble into the Legrand affairs,
cancelled all profits, and slowly brought on ruin. The widow had no
suspicion of Derues' disgraceful dealings, and he carefully referred the
damage to other causes, quite worthy of himself. Sometimes it was a
bottle of oil, or of brandy, or some other commodity, which was found
spilt, broken, or damaged, which accidents he attributed to the enormous
quantity of rats which infested the cellar and the house. At length,
unable to meet her engagements, Madame Legrand made the business over to
him in February, 1770. He was then twenty-five years and six months old,
and was accepted as a merchant grocer in August the same year. By an
agreement drawn up between them, Derues undertook to pay twelve hundred
livres for the goodwill, and to lodge her rent free during the remainder
of her lease, which had still nine years to run. Being thus obliged to
give up business to escape bankruptcy, Madame Legrand surrendered to her
creditors any goods remaining in her warehouse; and Derues easily made
arrangements to take them over very cheaply. The first step thus made,
he was now able to enrich himself safely and to defraud with impunity
under the cover of his stolen reputation.

One of his uncles, a flour merchant at Chartres, came habitually twice a
year to Paris to settle accounts with his correspondents. A sum of
twelve hundred francs, locked up in a drawer, was stolen from him, and,
accompanied by his nephew, he went to inform the police. On investigation
being made, it was found that the chest of drawers had been broken at the
top. As at the time of the theft of the seventy-nine Louis from the
abbe, Derues was the only person known to have entered his uncle's room.
The innkeeper swore to this, but the uncle took pains to justify his
nephew, and showed his confidence shortly after by becoming surety for
him to the extent of five thousand livres. Derues failed to pay when the
time expired, and the holder of the note was obliged to sue the surety
for it.

He made use of any means, even the most impudent, which enabled him to
appropriate other people's property. A provincial grocer on one occasion
sent him a thousand-weight of honey in barrels to be sold on commission.
Two or three months passed, and he asked for an account of the sale.
Derues replied that he had not yet been able to dispose of it
advantageously, and there ensued a fre