ugly writing! Before going off to her work, she consulted Madame Goujet,
who highly approved her project of setting up in business for herself;
with a husband like hers, a good fellow who did not drink, she was
certain of getting on, and of not having her earnings squandered. At
the luncheon hour Gervaise even called on the Lorilleuxs to ask their
advice; she did not wish to appear to be doing anything unknown to the
family. Madame Lorilleux was struck all of a heap. What! Clump-clump
was going in for a shop now! And her heart bursting with envy, she
stammered, and tried to pretend to be pleased: no doubt the shop was a
convenient one--Gervaise was right in taking it. However, when she had
somewhat recovered, she and her husband talked of the dampness of the
courtyard, of the poor light of the rooms on the ground floor. Oh! it
was a good place for rheumatism. Yet, if she had made up her mind to
take it, their observations, of course, would not make her alter her
decision.

That evening Gervaise frankly owned with a laugh that she would have
fallen ill if she had been prevented from having the shop. Nevertheless,
before saying "it's done!" she wished to take Coupeau to see the place,
and try and obtain a reduction in the rent.

"Very well, then, to-morrow, if you like," said her husband. "You can
come and fetch me towards six o'clock at the house where I'm working, in
the Rue de la Nation, and we'll call in at the Rue de la Goutte-d'Or on
our way home."

Coupeau was then finishing the roofing of a new three-storied house. It
so happened that on that day he was to fix the last sheets of zinc. As
the roof was almost flat, he had set up his bench on it, a wide shutter
supported on two trestles. A beautiful May sun was setting, giving a