et than he poked fun
at illness. He had never been ill. Yes, he had got to the point when
a fellow kicks the bucket declaring that he's quite well. And his wits
were going a-wool-gathering in other respects too. When Nana came home
after gadding about for six weeks or so he seemed to fancy she had
returned from doing some errand in the neighborhood. Often when she was
hanging on an acquaintance's arm she met him and laughed at him without
his recognizing her. In short, he no longer counted for anything; she
might have sat down on him if she had been at a loss for a chair.

When the first frosts came Nana took herself off once more under the
pretence of going to the fruiterer's to see if there were any baked
pears. She scented winter and didn't care to let her teeth chatter in
front of the fireless stove. The Coupeaus had called her no good because
they had waited for the pears. No doubt she would come back again. The
other winter she had stayed away three weeks to fetch her father two
sous' worth of tobacco. But the months went by and the girl did not show
herself. This time she must have indulged in a hard gallop. When June
arrived she did not even turn up with the sunshine. Evidently it was all
over, she had found a new meal ticket somewhere or other. One day when
the Coupeaus were totally broke they sold Nana's iron bedstead for six
francs, which they drank together at Saint-Ouen. The bedstead had been
in their way.

One morning in July Virginie called to Gervaise, who was passing by, and
asked her to lend a hand in washing up, for Lantier had entertained a
couple of friends on the day before. And while Gervaise was cleaning up
the plates and dishes, greasy with the traces of the spread, the hatter,
who was still digesting in the shop, suddenly called out:

"Say, I saw Nana the other day."

Virginie, who was seated at the counter looking very careworn in front
of the jars and drawers which were already three parts emptied, jerked
her head furiously. She restrained herself so as not to say too much,
but really it was angering her. Lantier was seeing Nana often. Oh! she
was by no means sure of him; he was a man to do much worse than that,
when a fancy for a woman came into his head. Madame Lerat, very intimate
just then with Virginie, who confided in her, had that moment entered
the shop, and hearing Lantier's remark, she pouted ridiculously, and
asked:

"What do you mean, you saw her?"

"Oh, in the street here,