She began to raise her voice, saying that she wished some passer-by would pinch her bottom so that she could take the fresh fellow to the police station herself and turn him over to her husband.

Gervaise signaled her to be quiet since the workwomen were listening and led the way back into the shop, reopening the discussion about the dinner.
"Now, don't we need a vegetable ?" "Why not peas with bacon ?" said Virginie.

"I like nothing better." "Yes, peas with bacon." The others approved.

Augustine was so enthusiastic that she jabbed the poker into the stove harder than ever.
By three o'clock on the morrow, Sunday, mother Coupeau had lighted their two stoves and also a third one of earthenware which they had borrowed from the Boches.

At half-past three the pot-au-feu was boiling away in an enormous earthenware pot lent by the eating-house keeper next door, the family pot having been found too small.