From time to time, Gervaise would turn her head a little to smile brightly at Coupeau, who was rather uncomfortable under the hot sun in his new clothes.
Though they walked very slowly, they arrived at the mayor's quite half an hour too soon.

And as the mayor was late, their turn was not reached till close upon eleven o'clock.

They sat down on some chairs and waited in a corner of the apartment, looking by turns at the high ceiling and bare walls, talking low, and over-politely pushing back their chairs each time that one of the attendants passed.

Yet among themselves they called the mayor a sluggard, saying he must be visiting his blonde to get a massage for his gout, or that maybe he'd swallowed his official sash.
However, when the mayor did put in his appearance, they rose respectfully in his honor.

They were asked to sit down again and they had to wait through three other marriages.