their last farewell, whilst Bazouge had filled his mouth with
nails and was holding the hammer in readiness. Then Coupeau, his two
sisters and Gervaise threw themselves on their knees and kissed the
mamma who was going away, weeping bitterly, the hot tears falling on
and streaming down the stiff face now cold as ice. There was a prolonged
sound of sobbing. The lid was placed on, and old Bazouge knocked the
nails in with the style of a packer, two blows for each; and they none
of them could hear any longer their own weeping in that din, which
resembled the noise of furniture being repaired. It was over. The time
for starting had arrived.

"What a fuss to make at such a time!" said Madame Lorilleux to her
husband as she caught sight of the hearse before the door.

The hearse was creating quite a revolution in the neighborhood. The
tripe-seller called to the grocer's men, the little clockmaker came out
on to the pavement, the neighbors leant out of their windows; and all
these people talked about the scallop with its white cotton fringe. Ah!
the Coupeaus would have done better to have paid their debts. But as
the Lorilleuxs said, when one is proud it shows itself everywhere and in
spite of everything.

"It's shameful!" Gervaise was saying at the same moment, speaking of the
chainmaker and his wife. "To think that those skinflints have not even
brought a bunch of violets for their mother!"

The Lorilleuxs, true enough, had come empty-handed. Madame Lerat had
given a wreath of artificial flowers. And a wreath of immortelles and
a bouquet bought by the Coupeaus were also placed on the coffin. The
undertaker's helpers had to give a mighty heave to lift the coffin
and carry it to the hearse. It was some time before the procession was
formed. Coupeau and Lorilleux, in frock coats and with their hats in
their hands, were chief mourners. The first, in his emotion which two
glasses of white wine early in the morning had helped to sustain, clung
to his brother-in-law's arm, with no strength in his legs, and a violent
headache. Then followed the other men--Monsieur Madinier, very grave
and all in black; My-Boots, wearing a great-coat over his blouse; Boche,
whose yellow trousers produced the effect of a petard; Lantier, Gaudron,
Bibi-the-Smoker, Poisson and others. The ladies came next--in the first
row Madame Lorilleux, dragging the deceased's skirt, which she had
altered; Madame Lerat, hiding under a shawl her hastily got-up mo