The Boches invited Gervaise to have a drink with them, even though they now considered Clump-clump beneath them, in order to hear all the details.

Madame Lorilleux and Madame Poisson were there also.
Boche told of a carpenter he had known who had been a drinker of absinthe.

The man shed his clothes, went out in the street and danced the polka until he died.

That rather struck the ladies as comic, even though it was very sad.
Gervaise got up in the middle of the room and did an imitation of Coupeau.

Yes, that's just how it was.