Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 24, 2025
This frightened Mme Lerat, who went at once to her brother and told him the whole story, whereupon he flew into a violent rage, shook the girl until her teeth chattered and talked to her as if she were the vilest of the vile. "Let her be!" said Gervaise with all a woman's sense. "Let her be! Don't you see that you are putting all sorts of things into her head?"
He himself would go and see if he could not make them agree to that. He went up at once and asked them in such a way that he returned in triumph with the ten francs. And Mme Lerat, too, did the same at his representation. Mamma Coupeau could have kissed Lantier's hands, who played the part, besides, of an arbiter in the quarrels between the old woman and Gervaise.
Nana didn't know; he had only been following her for five days, but she could not poke her nose out of doors without stumbling on men. She believed he was in business; yes, a manufacturer of bone buttons. Madame Lerat was greatly impressed. She turned round and glanced at the gentleman out of the corner of her eye. "One can see he's got a deep purse," she muttered.
That rogue of a hatter adored tripe. On seeing Madame Lorilleux and Madame Lerat arrive, Gervaise repeated, faintly: "He's gone. Mon Dieu! Four days' dancing and yelling " Then the two sisters could not do otherwise than pull out their handkerchiefs. Their brother had had many faults, but after all he was their brother.
A cart turned in at the gateway with "Lérat, Confectioner, Contractor for Wedding-breakfasts" on it, and Ludivine, with the aid of a scullery-maid, took from it a great many flat baskets from which issued an appetizing odor. The vicomte came in soon after; his trousers were fastened tightly under the varnished boots which showed off his small feet to perfection.
The spinster and the ladies who were alone Madame Lerat, Madame Fauconnier, Mademoiselle Remanjou discreetly placed their five-franc pieces in it first. Then the gentlemen went to the other end of the room, and made up the accounts. They were fifteen; it amounted therefore to seventy-five francs. When the seventy-five francs were in the plate, each man added five sous for the waiters.
Mme Lerat had amused herself by quarreling with her sister, to whom she had expressed her admiration of the generosity evinced by Gervaise, and when she saw that Mme Lorilleux was intensely exasperated she declared she had never seen such eyes in anybody's head as those of the clearstarcher. She really believed one might light paper at them.
If her niece was long in coming it was because her occupations detained her; wasn't it so? Besides, they weren't overworked it was comfortable in the kitchen. And as hearts were out, Mme Lerat threw down diamonds. The bell began again, and when Zoe reappeared she was burning with excitement. "My children, it's fat Steiner!" she said in the doorway, lowering her voice as she spoke.
On Saturday Coupeau had told his wife he would take her to the circus; he had earned a little money and insisted on indulging himself. Nana was obliged to stay late at the place where she worked and would sleep with her aunt Mme Lerat. Seven o'clock came, but no Coupeau. Her husband was drinking with his comrades probably.
The girl went off at an early hour in her little black dress, which was too short and too tight for her, and Mme Lerat was bidden, whenever she was after her time, to inform Gervaise, who allowed her just twenty minutes, which was quite long enough. But she was often seven or eight minutes late, and she spent her whole day coaxing her aunt not to tell her mother.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking