Besides which, they were two quarters rent behind with the rent, which meant another two hundred and fifty francs; the landlord, Monsieur Marescot, even spoke of having them evicted if they did not pay him by the first of January.

Finally the pawn-place had absorbed everything, one could not have got together three francs' worth of odds and ends, the clearance had been so complete; the nails remained in the walls and that was all and perhaps there were two pounds of them at three sous the pound.

Gervaise, thoroughly entangled in it all, her nerves quite upset by this calculation, would fly into a passion and bang her fists down upon the table or else she would end by bursting into tears like a fool.

One night she exclaimed: "I'll be off to-morrow! I prefer to put the key under the door and to sleep on the pavement rather than continue to live in such frights." "It would be wiser," said Lantier slyly, "to get rid of the lease if you could find someone to take it.

When you are both decided to give up the shop--" She interrupted him more violently: "At once, at once! Ah! it'll be a good riddance!" Then the hatter became very practical.