On the following Saturday Coupeau, who had not come home to dinner, brought Lantier with him towards ten o'clock.

They had had some sheep's trotters at Chez Thomas at Montmartre.
"You mustn't scold, wife," said the zinc-worker.

"We're sober, as you can see.

Oh! there's no fear with him; he keeps one on the straight road." And he related how they happened to meet in the Rue Rochechouart.

After dinner Lantier had declined to have a drink at the "Black Ball," saying that when one was married to a pretty and worthy little woman, one ought not to go liquoring-up at all the wineshops.