With convulsed features, eyes that glared terribly, and hands twisted and clenched, she lay at full length in her skirts, which failed to hide the sharp outlines of her scrawny limbs.
Extended there with lips closely pressed she imparted to the dim room all the horror of a mute death-agony.
Rougon made a gesture of vexation.

This heart-rending spectacle was very distasteful to him.

He had company coming to dinner in the evening, and it would be extremely inconvenient for him to have to appear mournful.
His mother was always doing something to bother him.

She might just as well have chosen another day.

However, he put on an appearance of perfect ease, as he said: "Bah! it's nothing.