The young woman talked of showing these folk the door; their bursts of foolish laughter and silly reflections irritated her.

But Laurent made her understand that such a step would be a mistake; it was necessary that the present should resemble the past as much as possible; and, above all, they must preserve the friendship of the police, of those idiots who protected them from all suspicion.

Therese gave way.
The guests were well received, and they viewed with delight a future full of a long string of warm Thursday evenings.
It was about this time that the lives of the couple became, in a way, divided in two.
In the morning, when day drove away the terror of night, Laurent hastily dressed himself.

But he only recovered his ease and egotistic calm when in the dining-room, seated before an enormous bowl of coffee and milk, which Therese prepared for him.

Madame Raquin, who had become even more feeble and could barely get down to the shop, watched him eating with a maternal smile.