over, measuring the corners, and arranging the rooms, as
though she were going to move all her furniture in there on the morrow.
Then Coupeau advised her to take it, seeing how she wanted to do so; she
would certainly never find anything decent under five hundred francs;
besides they might perhaps get a reduction. He knew only one objection
to it and that was living in the same house as the Lorilleux, whom she
could not bear.

Gervaise declared that she wasn't mad at anybody. So much did she want
her own shop that she even spoke up for the Lorilleuxs, saying that they
weren't mean at heart and that she would be able to get along just fine
with them. When they went to bed, Coupeau fell asleep immediately, but
she stayed awake, planning how she could arrange the new place even
though she hadn't yet made up her mind completely.

On the morrow, when she was alone, she could not resist removing the
glass cover from the clock, and taking a peep at the savings-bank book.
To think that her shop was there, in those dirty pages, covered with
ugly writing! Before going off to her work, she consulted Madame Goujet,
who highly approved her project of setting up in business for herself;
with a husband like hers, a good fellow who did not drink, she was
certain of getting on, and of not having her earnings squandered. At
the luncheon hour Gervaise even called on the Lorilleuxs to ask their
advice; she did not wish to appear to be doing anything unknown to the
family. Madame Lorilleux was struck all of a heap. What! Clump-clump
was going in for a shop now! And her heart bursting with envy, she
stammered, and tried to pretend to be pleased: no doubt the shop was a
convenient one--Gervaise was right in taking it. However, when she had
somewhat recovered, she and her husband talked of the dampness of the
courtyard, of the poor light of the rooms on the ground floor. Oh! it
was a good place for rheumatism. Yet, if she had made up her mind to
take it, their observations, of course, would not make her alter her
decision.

That evening Gervaise frankly owned with a laugh that she would have
fallen ill if she had been prevented from having the shop. Nevertheless,
before saying "it's done!" she wished to take Coupeau to see the place,
and try and obtain a reduction in the rent.

"Very well, then, to-morrow, if you like," said her husband. "You can
come and fetch me towards six o'clock at the house where I'm working, in
the Rue de la Nation