Oh! she forgave him, because one ought to forgive madmen everything.
From that time Gervaise watched and prepared to interfere directly she heard Bijard coming up the stairs.

But on most of the occasions she only caught some whack for her trouble.

When she entered their room in the day-time, she often found Lalie tied to the foot of the iron bedstead; it was an idea of the locksmith's, before going out, to tie her legs and her body with some stout rope, without anyone being able to find out why--a mere whim of a brain diseased by drink, just for the sake, no doubt, of maintaining his tyranny over the child when he was no longer there.

Lalie, as stiff as a stake, with pins and needles in her legs, remained whole days at the post.

She once even passed a night there, Bijard having forgotten to come home.