United States or Ukraine ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Then Mme Lorilleux fell to crying, and Lantier had great trouble in preventing her from going away at once, and the quarrel grew so violent that Mme Lerat hastily closed the door of the room where the dead woman lay, as if she feared the noise would waken her. The children's voices rose shrill in the air with Nana's perpetual "Tra-la-la" above all the rest.
Your heredity is so loose and on the strength of it one can be so much, everything, that it becomes nothing therefore the consequences which you deduct from it also are based upon nothing. Nana, according to you, is a street-walker, and Angelle is a saint; the priest Mouret is an ascetic, Jacques Lantier a murderer, and all that on account of great-grandmother Adelaïde!
Gavard, who had become gloomy, merely nodded or shook his head when she spoke to him, and left his stall for days together in Marjolin's charge. The beautiful Lisa, however, determined that she would get to the bottom of affairs. She knew that Florent had obtained a day's leave, and intended to spend it with Claude Lantier, at Madame Francois's, at Nanterre.
But she understood him and drew hastily back. "No, no! Leave me, Auguste. I can manage." But Lantier would not obey her. He put his arm around her waist and pointed to her husband as he lay snoring, with his mouth wide open. "Leave me!" said Gervaise, imploringly, and she pointed to the room where her mother-in-law and Nana slept. "You will wake them!" she said.
Some persons had collected in the street to hear the party sing. And Lantier was indeed there in the front row, listening and coolly looking on. It was rare cheek, everything considered. Gervaise felt a chill ascend from her legs to her heart, and she no longer dared to move, whilst old Bru continued: "Trou la la, trou la la, Trou la, trou la, trou la la!" "Very good.
The Poissons arrived about eight o'clock; then Lantier, carefully watching Gervaise, began to speak of the disgraceful act committed by the landlord in coming to a house to collect money at such a time. "He is a thorough hypocrite," continued Lantier, "and were I in Madame Coupeau's place, I would walk off and leave his house on his hands." Gervaise heard but did not seem to heed.
Her basket was full of yellow dandelions. Gervaise, at heart, did not feel as courageous when with Lantier as she said. She was, indeed, perfectly resolved not to hear his flattery, even with the slightest interest; but she was afraid, if ever he should touch her, of her old cowardice, of that feebleness and gloominess into which she allowed herself to glide, just to please people.
"No, no," said Lantier, "I cannot accept. It would inconvenience you too much. I know that it's willingly offered, but we should be too warm all jumbled up together. Besides, you know, each one likes his liberty. I should have to go through your room, and that wouldn't be exactly funny."
They had sent Coupeau away so as not to have him underfoot, but they still had plenty of people looking in throughout the afternoon. Virginie put in an appearance towards five o'clock. She had again seen Lantier; really, it was impossible to go down the street now without meeting him.
Virginie, who seemed to read her through and through, asked her what she feared. Was there ever a man more respectful? But out of mischief or worse, the woman contrived to get the two into a corner one day and then led the conversation into a most dangerous direction. Lantier, in reply to some question, said in measured tones that his heart was dead, that he lived now only for his son.
Word Of The Day