Virginie only wanted to humiliate her.

She would rather turn it over to the first woman to come in from the street than to that hypocrite who had been waiting for years to see her fail.

Yes, Virginie still had in mind that fight in the wash-house.

Well, she'd be wiser to forget about it, unless she wanted another one now.
In the face of this flow of angry retorts, Lantier began by attacking Gervaise.

He called her stupid and stuck-up.