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When she returned the third time, in the midst of the uproar, she said to her: "My dear, he's still at Francois's; he's pretending to read the newspaper. He's certainly meditating some evil design." She was speaking of Lantier. It was him that she had been watching. At each fresh report Gervaise became more and more grave. "Is he drunk?" asked she of Virginie. "No," replied the tall brunette.
He has very likely spent the night with some friends blackguarding crapulous Bonaparte." "No, no," she murmured with an effort. "You don't think that. I know where Lantier is. You see, we have our little troubles like the rest of the world!"
Still, the Lorilleuxs delighted in talking sympathetically to Gervaise about the affair between Lantier and Virginie. The Boches maintained they had never seen a more handsome couple. The odd thing in all this was that the Rue de la Goutte-d'Or seemed to have no objection to this new arrangement which everyone thought was progressing nicely.
Boche welcomed Lantier cordially. Gervaise stood by in silent bewilderment, watching them place the trunk in her lodger's room. Then hardly knowing what she said, she murmured: "We must take a glass of wine together " Lantier, who was busy untying the cords on his trunk, did not look up, and she added: "You will join us, Monsieur Boche!" And she went for some wine and glasses.
After that a game of billiards was proposed, and they went noisily down the street to the nearest billiard room, which did not happen to please the fastidious Lantier, who, however, soon recovered his good humor under the effect of the admiration excited in the minds of his friends by his play, which was really very extraordinary. When the hour arrived for breakfast Coupeau had an idea.
She was just the person for trade tall, engaging and active. Oh! she would make as much as she liked. The capital had been available for some time, thanks to an inheritance from an aunt. Lantier told her of all the shopkeepers who were making fortunes. The time was right for it; you could sell anything these days.
Gervaise was touched by these tears and found her heart softer toward her husband than it had been for many a long year. "Courage, old friend!" said Lantier, pouring out a glass of wine as he spoke. He walked along slowly, smoking a cigar, and after he had been to Mme Lerat's he stopped in at a cremerie to take a cup of coffee, and there he sat for an hour or more in deep thought.
Their friend could pay twenty francs a month for a nicely furnished room and it would help them with the rent. He would be responsible for fixing up a big box under their bed that would be large enough to hold all the dirty clothes. Gervaise still hesitated. She looked toward mother Coupeau for guidance. Lantier had won over mother Coupeau months ago by bringing her gum drops for her cough.
Lantier had been placed at the table by Coupeau and was eating a piece of cake, leisurely dipping it into his glass of wine. With the exception of Mme Boche and Virginie, no one knew him. The Lorilleuxs looked at him with some suspicion, which, however, was very far from the mark. An awkward silence followed, broken by Coupeau, who said simply: "He is a friend of ours!"
Since the invalid seemed to be sleeping peacefully this night, Gervaise finally yielded to the appeals of Lantier to come into his room for a little rest. They only kept a candle alight, standing on the ground behind the wardrobe. But towards three o'clock Gervaise abruptly jumped out of bed, shivering and oppressed with anguish. She thought she had felt a cold breath pass over her body.
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