It was Madame Raquin who had to arrange the rooms and tidy up the shop.
Therese at last lost patience at seeing the good old lady incessantly
turning round and round before her eyes; she engaged a charwoman, and
forced her aunt to be seated beside her.

Camille remained a month without finding employment. He lived as little
as possible in the shop, preferring to stroll about all day; and he
found life so dreadfully dull with nothing to do, that he spoke
of returning to Vernon. But he at length obtained a post in the
administration of the Orleans Railway, where he earned 100 francs a
month. His dream had become realised.

He set out in the morning at eight o'clock. Walking down the Rue
Guenegaud, he found himself on the quays. Then, taking short steps with
his hands in his pockets, he followed the Seine from the Institut to the
Jardin des Plantes. This long journey which he performed twice daily,
never wearied him. He watched the water running along, and he stopped
to see the rafts of wood descending the river, pass by. He thought of
nothing. Frequently he planted himself before Notre Dame, to contemplate
the scaffolding surrounding the cathedral which was then undergoing
repair. These huge pieces of timber amused him although he failed to
understand why. Then he cast a glance into the Port aux Vins as he went
past, and after that counted the cabs coming from the station.

In the evening, quite stupefied, with his head full of some silly story
related to his office, he crossed the Jardin des Plantes, and went to
have a look at the bears, if he was not in too great a hurry. There he
remained half an hour, leaning over the rails at the top of the pit,
observing the animals clumsily swaying to and fro. The behaviour of
these huge beasts pleased him. He examined them with gaping mouth and