Gervaise had not seen him again; she thought he was living with Virginie's sister at La Glaciere, in the house of that friend who was going to start a hat factory.

She had no thought of running after him.

She had been so distressed at first that she had thought of drowning herself in the river.

But now that she had thought about it, everything seemed to be for the best.

Lantier went through money so fast, that she probably never could have raised her children properly.