tes at
the counter. When he at length came out he said to his wife:

"I don't like this. It's my business where I go. Do you understand?"

She did not answer. She was all in a tremble. She must have said
something about Lantier to Virginie, for the latter pushed her husband
and Goujet ahead, telling them to walk in front. The two women got
on each side of Coupeau to keep him occupied and prevent him seeing
Lantier. He wasn't really drunk, being more intoxicated from shouting
than from drinking. Since they seemed to want to stay on the left side,
to tease them, he crossed over to the other side of the street.
Worried, they ran after him and tried to block his view of the door of
Francois's. But Coupeau must have known that Lantier was there. Gervaise
almost went out of her senses on hearing him grunt:

"Yes, my duck, there's a young fellow of our acquaintance inside there!
You mustn't take me for a ninny. Don't let me catch you gallivanting
about again with your side glances!"

And he made use of some very coarse expressions. It was not him that she
had come to look for with her bare elbows and her mealy mouth; it
was her old beau. Then he was suddenly seized with a mad rage against
Lantier. Ah! the brigand! Ah! the filthy hound! One or the other of
them would have to be left on the pavement, emptied of his guts like a
rabbit. Lantier, however, did not appear to notice what was going on
and continued slowly eating some veal and sorrel. A crowd began to form.
Virginie led Coupeau away and he calmed down at once as soon as he had
turned the corner of the street. All the same they returned to the shop
far less lively than when they left it.

The guests were standing round the table with very long faces. The
zinc-worker shook hands with them, showing himself off before the
ladies. Gervaise, feeling rather depressed, spoke in a low voice as she
directed them to their places. But she suddenly noticed that, as Madame
Goujet had not come, a seat would remain empty--the one next to Madame
Lorilleux.

"We are thirteen!" said she, deeply affected, seeing in that a fresh
omen of the misfortune with which she had felt herself threatened for
some time past.

The ladies already seated rose up looking anxious and annoyed. Madame
Putois offered to retire because according to her it was not a matter to
laugh about; besides she would not touch a thing, the food would do
her no good. As to Boche, he chuckled. He would sooner be thir