And while Gervaise was cleaning up the plates and dishes, greasy with the traces of the spread, the hatter, who was still digesting in the shop, suddenly called out: "Say, I saw Nana the other day." Virginie, who was seated at the counter looking very careworn in front of the jars and drawers which were already three parts emptied, jerked her head furiously.

She restrained herself so as not to say too much, but really it was angering her.

Lantier was seeing Nana often.

Oh! she was by no means sure of him; he was a man to do much worse than that, when a fancy for a woman came into his head.

Madame Lerat, very intimate just then with Virginie, who confided in her, had that moment entered the shop, and hearing Lantier's remark, she pouted ridiculously, and asked: "What do you mean, you saw her ?" "Oh, in the street here," answered the hatter, who felt highly flattered, and began to laugh and twirl his moustaches.