But Coupeau took her part; he would willingly fork out the fifteen francs.

After all those sort of women spent their youth in studying, they were right to charge a good price.
It was then Lorilleux who got into a quarrel with Madame Lerat by maintaining that, in order to have a son, the head of the bed should be turned to the north.

She shrugged her shoulders at such nonsense, offering another formula which consisted in hiding under the mattress, without letting your wife know, a handful of fresh nettles picked in bright sunlight.
The table had been pushed over close to the bed.

Until ten o'clock Gervaise lay there, smiling although she was only half awake.

She was becoming more and more weary, her head turned sideways on the pillow.
She no longer had the energy to venture a remark or a gesture.