w of the superbly laid cloth, and
they had reserved the best crockery for them, well knowing that the
porcelain plates would create a great effect.

"No, no, mamma," cried Gervaise; "don't give them those napkins! I've
two damask ones."

"Ah, good!" murmured the old woman; "that'll break their hearts, that's
certain."

And they smiled to each other as they stood up on either side of that
big white table on which the fourteen knives and forks, placed all
round, caused them to swell with pride. It had the appearance of the
altar of some chapel in the middle of the shop.

"That's because they're so stingy themselves!" resumed Gervaise. "You
know they lied last month when the woman went about everywhere saying
that she had lost a piece of gold chain as she was taking the work home.
The idea! There's no fear of her ever losing anything! It was simply a
way of making themselves out very poor and of not giving you your five
francs."

"As yet I've only seen my five francs twice," said mother Coupeau.

"I'll bet next month they'll concoct some other story. That explains
why they cover their window up when they have a rabbit to eat. Don't
you see? One would have the right to say to them: 'As you can afford a
rabbit you can certainly give five francs to your mother!' Oh! they're
just rotten! What would have become of you if I hadn't taken you to live
with us?"

Mother Coupeau slowly shook her head. That day she was all against the
Lorilleuxs, because of the great feast the Coupeaus were giving. She
loved cooking, the little gossipings round the saucepans, the place
turned topsy-turvy by the revels of saints' days. Besides she generally
got on pretty well with Gervaise. On other days when they plagued one
another as happens in all families, the old woman grumbled saying she
was wretchedly unfortunate in thus being at her daughter-in-law's mercy.
In point of fact she probably had some affection for Madame Lorilleux
who after all was her daughter.

"Ah!" continued Gervaise, "you wouldn't be so fat, would you, if you
were living with them? And no coffee, no snuff, no little luxuries of
any sort! Tell me, would they have given you two mattresses to your
bed?"

"No, that's very certain," replied mother Coupeau. "When they arrive
I shall place myself so as to have a good view of the door to see the
faces they'll make."

Thinking of the faces they would make gave them pleasure ahead of time.
However, they couldn't remain sta