Few people passed along, only folks in a hurry, who swiftly crossed the Boulevards.

And on the broad, dark, deserted footway, where the sound of the revelry died away, women were standing and waiting.

They remained for long intervals motionless, patient and as stiff-looking as the scrubby little plane trees; then they slowly began to move, dragging their slippers over the frozen soil, taking ten steps or so and then waiting again, rooted as it were to the ground.

There was one of them with a huge body and insect-like arms and legs, wearing a black silk rag, with a yellow scarf over her head; there was another one, tall and bony, who was bareheaded and wore a servant's apron; and others, too--old ones plastered up and young ones so dirty that a ragpicker would not have picked them up.

However, Gervaise tried to learn what to do by imitating them; girlish-like emotion tightened her throat; she was hardly aware whether she felt ashamed or not; she seemed to be living in a horrible dream.