ard Gervaise, his face set hard in determination.
She had gotten the children up and dressed and had almost finished
cleaning the room. The room looked, as always, dark and depressing
with its sooty black ceiling and paper peeling from the damp walls. The
dilapidated furniture was always streaked and dirty despite frequent
dustings. Gervaise, devouring her grief, trying to assume a look of
indifference, hurried over her work.

Lantier watched as she tidied her hair in front of the small mirror
hanging near the window. While she washed herself he looked at her bare
arms and shoulders. He seemed to be making comparisons in his mind as
his lips formed a grimace. Gervaise limped with her right leg, though
it was scarcely noticeable except when she was tired. To-day, exhausted
from remaining awake all night, she was supporting herself against the
wall and dragging her leg.

Neither one spoke, they had nothing more to say. Lantier seemed to be
waiting, while Gervaise kept busy and tried to keep her countenance
expressionless. Finally, while she was making a bundle of the dirty
clothes thrown in a corner, behind the trunk, he at length opened his
lips and asked:

"What are you doing there? Where are you going?"

She did not answer at first. Then, when he furiously repeated his
question, she made up her mind, and said:

"I suppose you can see for yourself. I'm going to wash all this. The
children can't live in filth."

He let her pick up two or three handkerchiefs. And, after a fresh pause,
he resumed: "Have you got any money?"

At these words she stood up and looked him full in the face, without
leaving go of the children's dirty clothes, which she held in her hand.

"Money! And where do you think I can have stolen any? You know well
enough that I got three francs the day before yesterday on my black
skirt. We've lunched twice off it, and money goes quick at the
pork-butcher's. No, you may be quite sure I've no money. I've four sous
for the wash-house. I don't have an extra income like some women."

He let this allusion pass. He had moved off the bed, and was passing in
review the few rags hanging about the room. He ended by taking up the
pair of trousers and the shawl, and searching the drawers, he added two
chemises and a woman's loose jacket to the parcel; then, he threw the
whole bundle into Gervaise's arms, saying:

"Here, go and pop this."

"Don't you want me to pop the children as well?" asked she. "Eh! If