As for Etienne, he shared the left hand room with the dirty clothes, enormous bundles of which lay about on the floor.
However, there was one disadvantage--the Coupeaus would not admit it at first--but the damp ran down the walls, and it was impossible to see clearly in the place after three o'clock in the afternoon.
In the neighborhood the new shop produced a great sensation.

The Coupeaus were accused of going too fast, and making too much fuss.
They had, in fact, spent the five hundred francs lent by the Goujets in fitting up the shop and in moving, without keeping sufficient to live upon for a fortnight, as they had intended doing.

The morning that Gervaise took down her shutters for the first time, she had just six francs in her purse.

But that did not worry her, customers began to arrive, and things seemed promising.

A week later on the Saturday, before going to bed, she remained two hours making calculations on a piece of paper, and she awoke Coupeau to tell him, with a bright look on her face, that there were hundreds and thousands of francs to be made, if they were only careful.
"Ah, well!" said Madame Lorilleux all over the Rue de la Goutte-d'Or, "my fool of a brother is seeing some funny things! All that was wanting was that Clump-clump should go about so haughty.