"Well, so what?"

Lantier didn't reply, He busied himself arranging his books and
newspapers on a shelf in the wardrobe. He seemed upset not to have a
small bookshelf over his table, so Gervaise promised to get him one.
He had "The History of Ten Years" by Louis Blanc (except for the first
volume), Lamartine's "The Girondins" in installments, "The Mysteries of
Paris" and "The Wandering Jew" by Eugene Sue, and a quantity of booklets
on philosophic and humanitarian subjects picked up from used book
dealers.

His newspapers were his prized possessions, a collection made over a
number of years. Whenever he read an article in a cafe that seemed to
him to agree with his own ideas, he would buy that newspaper and keep
it. He had an enormous bundle of them, papers of every date and every
title, piled up in no discernable order. He patted them and said to the
other two:

"You see that? No one else can boast of having anything to match it.
You can't imagine all that's in there. I mean, if they put into practice
only half the ideas, it would clean up the social order overnight. That
would be good medicine for your Emperor and all his stool pigeons."

The policeman's red mustache and beard began to bristle on his pale face
and he interrupted:

"And the army, tell me, what are you going to do about that?"

Lantier flew into a passion. He banged his fists down on the newspapers
as he yelled:

"I require the suppression of militarism, the fraternity of peoples.
I require the abolition of privileges, of titles, and of monopolies.
I require the equality of salaries, the division of benefits, the
glorification of the protectorate. All liberties, do you hear? All of
them! And divorce!"

"Yes, yes, divorce for morality!" insisted Boche.

Poisson had assumed a majestic air.

"Yet if I won't have your liberties, I'm free to refuse them," he
answered.

Lantier was choking with passion.

"If you don't want them--if you don't want them--" he replied. "No,
you're not free at all! If you don't want them, I'll send you off to
Devil's Island. Yes, Devil's Island with your Emperor and all the rats
of his crew."

They always quarreled thus every time they met. Gervaise, who did not
like arguments, usually interfered. She roused herself from the torpor
into which the sight of the box, full of the stale perfume of her past
love, had plunged her, and she drew the three men's attention to the
glasses.

"Ah! yes," said Lantier, becomin