pet name for Anna, which was her godmother's name.

"Good night, Nana. Come be a good girl, Nana."

When they had at length gone off, Coupeau drew his chair close up to
the bed and finished his pipe, holding Gervaise's hand in his. He smoked
slowly, deeply affected and uttering sentences between the puffs.

"Well, old woman, they've made your head ache, haven't they? You see I
couldn't prevent them coming. After all, it shows their friendship. But
we're better alone, aren't we? I wanted to be alone like this with you.
It has seemed such a long evening to me! Poor little thing, she's had
a lot to go through! Those shrimps, when they come out into the world,
have no idea of the pain they cause. It must really almost be like being
split in two. Where is does it hurt the most, that I may kiss it and
make it well?"

He had carefully slid one of his big hands under her back, and now
he drew her toward him, bending over to kiss her stomach through the
covers, touched by a rough man's compassion for the suffering of a woman
in childbirth. He inquired if he was hurting her. Gervaise felt very
happy, and answered him that it didn't hurt any more at all. She was
only worried about getting up as soon as possible, because there was
no time to lie about now. He assured her that he'd be responsible for
earning the money for the new little one. He would be a real bum if he
abandoned her and the little rascal. The way he figured it, what really
counted was bringing her up properly. Wasn't that so?

Coupeau did not sleep much that night. He covered up the fire in
the stove. Every hour he had to get up to give the baby spoonfuls of