eresting.

Gervaise was quite at her ease in this matter, and not much troubled
with these thoughts. Things reached the point that she was accused of
being heartless. The family did not understand why she continued to bear
a grudge against the hatter. Madame Lerat now came over every evening.
She considered Lantier as utterly irresistible and said that most ladies
would be happy to fall into his arms. Madame Boche declared that her own
virtue would not be safe if she were ten years younger. There was a sort
of silent conspiracy to push Gervaise into the arms of Lantier, as if
all the women around her felt driven to satisfy their own longings
by giving her a lover. Gervaise didn't understand this because she no
longer found Lantier seductive. Certainly he had changed for the better.
He had gotten a sort of education in the cafes and political meetings
but she knew him well. She could pierce to the depths of his soul and
she found things there that still gave her the shivers. Well, if the
others found him so attractive, why didn't they try it themselves.
In the end she suggested this one day to Virginie who seemed the most
eager. Then, to excite Gervaise, Madame Lerat and Virginie told her of
the love of Lantier and tall Clemence. Yes, she had not noticed anything
herself; but as soon as she went out on an errand, the hatter would
bring the workgirl into his room. Now people met them out together; he
probably went to see her at her own place.

"Well," said the laundress, her voice trembling slightly, "what can it
matter to me?"

She looked straight into Virginie's eyes. Did this woman still have it
in for her?

Virginie replied with an air of innocence:

"It can't matter to you, of course. Only, you ought to advise him to
break off with that girl, who is sure to cause him some unpleasantness."

The worst of it was that Lantier, feeling himself supported by public
opinion, changed altogether in his behavior towards Gervaise. Now,
whenever he shook hands with her, he held her fingers for a minute
between his own. He tried her with his glance, fixing a bold look upon
her, in which she clearly read that he wanted her. If he passed behind
her, he dug his knees into her skirt, or breathed upon her neck. Yet he
waited a while before being rough and openly declaring himself. But
one evening, finding himself alone with her, he pushed her before him
without a word, and viewed her all trembling against the wall at the
back of