account straight. It was a
consolation to be able to use this money for such a good purpose, to
have had it when faced with their misfortune.

While Coupeau was bed-ridden the Goujets were very kind to Gervaise.
Madame Goujet was always ready to assist. She never went to shop without
stopping to ask Gervaise if there was anything she needed, sugar or
butter or salt. She always brought over hot bouillon on the evenings she
cooked _pot au feu_. Sometimes, when Gervaise seemed to have too much
to do, Madame Goujet helped her do the dishes, or cleaned the kitchen
herself. Goujet took her water pails every morning and filled them
at the tap on Rue des Poissonniers, saving her two sous a day. After
dinner, if no family came to visit, the Goujets would come over to visit
with the Coupeaus.

Until ten o'clock, the blacksmith would smoke his pipe and watch
Gervaise busy with her invalid. He would not speak ten words the entire
evening. He was moved to pity by the sight of her pouring Coupeau's tea
and medicine into a cup, or stirring the sugar in it very carefully so
as to make no sound with the spoon. It stirred him deeply when she would
lean over Coupeau and speak in her soft voice. Never before had he known
such a fine woman. Her limp increased the credit due her for wearing
herself out doing things for her husband all day long. She never sat
down for ten minutes, not even to eat. She was always running to the
chemist's. And then she would still keep the house clean, not even a
speck of dust. She never complained, no matter how exhausted she became.
Goujet developed a very deep affection for Gervaise in this atmosphere
of unselfish devotion.

One day he said to the invalid, "Well, old man, now you're patched up
again! I wasn't worried about you. Your wife works miracles."

Goujet was supposed to be getting married. His mother had found a
suitable girl, a lace-mender like herself, whom she was urging him to
marry. He had agreed so as not to hurt her feelings and the wedding had
been set for early September. Money had long since been saved to set
them up in housekeeping. However, when Gervaise referred to his coming
marriage, he shook his head, saying, "Not every woman is like you,
Madame Coupeau. If all women were like you, I'd marry ten of them."

At the end of two months, Coupeau was able to get up. He did not go far,
only from the bed to the window, and even then Gervaise had to support
him. There he would sit down in