ing a story--the manner in which he emptied a
bottle at a draught, giving it such a kiss that one instantly saw its
bottom. Meanwhile Salted-Mouth, otherwise Drink-without-Thirst, had gone
and fetched the wheel of fortune from the counter, and was playing with
Coupeau for drinks.

"Two hundred! You're lucky; you get high numbers every time!"

The needle of the wheel grated, and the figure of Fortune, a big red
woman placed under glass, turned round and round until it looked like a
mere spot in the centre, similar to a wine stain.

"Three hundred and fifty! You must have been inside it, you confounded
lascar! Ah! I shan't play any more!"

Gervaise amused herself with the wheel of fortune. She was feeling
awfully thirsty, and calling My-Boots "my child." Behind her the machine
for manufacturing drunkards continued working, with its murmur of an
underground stream; and she despaired of ever stopping it, of exhausting
it, filled with a sullen anger against it, feeling a longing to spring
upon the big still as upon some animal, to kick it with her heels and
stave in its belly. Then everything began to seem all mixed up. The
machine seemed to be moving itself and she thought she was being grabbed
by its copper claws, and that the underground stream was now flowing
over her body.

Then the room danced round, the gas-jets seemed to shoot like stars.
Gervaise was drunk. She heard a furious wrangle between Salted-Mouth,
otherwise Drink-without-Thirst, and that rascal Pere Colombe. There was
a thief of a landlord who wanted one to pay for what one had not
had! Yet one was not at a gangster's hang-out. Suddenly there was a
scuffling, yells were heard and tables were upset. It was Pere Colombe
who was turning the party out without the least hesitation, and in the
twinkling of an eye. On the other side of the door they blackguarded him
and called him a scoundrel. It still rained and blew icy cold. Gervaise
lost Coupeau, found him and then lost him again. She wished to go home;
she felt the shops to find her way. This sudden darkness surprised her
immensely. At the corner of the Rue des Poissonniers, she sat down in
the gutter thinking she was at the wash-house. The water which flowed
along caused her head to swim, and made her very ill. At length she
arrived, she passed stiffly before the concierge's room where she
perfectly recognized the Lorilleuxs and the Poissons seated at the table
having dinner, and who made grimaces of di