Laurent behaved very amicably. He grasped the situation, and did his
best to please the company, so as to make himself acceptable to them at
once. He related anecdotes, enlivened the party by his merry laughter,
and even won the friendship of Grivet.

That evening Therese made no attempt to go down to the shop. She
remained seated on her chair until eleven o'clock, playing and talking,
avoiding the eyes of Laurent, who for that matter did not trouble
himself about her. The sanguineous temperament of this strapping fellow,
his full voice and jovial laughter, troubled the young woman and threw
her into a sort of nervous anguish.



CHAPTER VI

Henceforth, Laurent called almost every evening on the Raquins. He lived
in the Rue Saint-Victor, opposite the Port aux Vins, where he rented a
small furnished room at 18 francs a month. This attic, pierced at the
top by a lift-up window, measured barely nine square yards, and Laurent
was in the habit of going home as late as possible at night. Previous to
his meeting with Camille, the state of his purse not permitting him to
idle away his time in the cafes, he loitered at the cheap eating-houses
where he took his dinner, smoking his pipe and sipping his coffee
and brandy which cost him three sous. Then he slowly gained the Rue
Saint-Victor, sauntering along the quays, where he seated himself on the
benches, in mild weather.

The shop in the Arcade of the Pont Neuf became a charming retreat, warm
and quiet, where he found amicable conversation and attention. He