He mentioned some of her former lovers, among them a count, an important merchant and the son of a lawyer. He added that a bit of playing around didn’t mean a thing, his heart was dead.
In the end Clemence had to pay a price for her meanness. She certainly felt Lantier pinching her hard two or three times without seeming to do so. She was also jealous because she didn’t reek of musk like that boulevard work-horse.
When spring came, Lantier, who was now quite one of the family, talked of living in the neighborhood, so as to be nearer his friends.
He wanted a furnished room in a decent house.
Madame Boche, and even Gervaise herself went searching about to find it for him.
They explored the neighboring streets.
But he was always too difficult to please; he required a big courtyard, a room on the ground floor; in fact, every luxury imaginable.
And then every evening, at the Coupeaus’, he seemed to measure the height of the ceilings, study the arrangement of the rooms, and covet a similar lodging.
Oh, he would never have asked for anything better, he would willingly have made himself a hole in that warm, quiet corner.
Then each time he wound up his inspection with these words:
“By Jove! you are comfortably situated here.”
One evening, when he had dined there, and was making the same remark during the dessert, Coupeau, who now treated him most familiarly, suddenly exclaimed:
“You must stay here, old boy, if it suits you.
It’s easily arranged.”
And he explained that the dirty-clothes room, cleaned out, would make a nice apartment.
Etienne could sleep in the shop, on a mattress on the floor, that was all.
“No, no,” said Lantier,
“I cannot accept.
It would inconvenience you too much.
I know that it’s willingly offered, but we should be too warm all jumbled up together. Besides, you know, each one likes his liberty.
I should have to go through your room, and that wouldn’t be exactly funny.”
“Ah, the rogue!” resumed the zinc-worker, choking with laughter, banging his fist down on the table, “he’s always thinking of something smutty!
But, you joker, we’re of an inventive turn of mind!
There’re two windows in the room, aren’t there?
Well, we’ll knock one out and turn it into a door.
Then, you understand you come in by way of the courtyard, and we can even stop up the other door, if we like.
Thus you’ll be in your home, and we in ours.”
A pause ensued.
At length the hatter murmured: “Ah, yes, in that manner perhaps we might.
And yet no, I should be too much in your way.”
He avoided looking at Gervaise. But he was evidently waiting for a word from her before accepting.
She was very much annoyed at her husband’s idea; not that the thought of seeing Lantier living with them wounded her feelings, or made her particularly uneasy, but she was wondering where she would be able to keep the dirty clothes.
Coupeau was going on about the advantages of the arrangement.
Their rent, five hundred francs, had always been a bit steep. Their friend could pay twenty francs a month for a nicely furnished room and it would help them with the rent.
He would be responsible for fixing up a big box under their bed that would be large enough to hold all the dirty clothes.
Gervaise still hesitated. She looked toward mother Coupeau for guidance. Lantier had won over mother Coupeau months ago by bringing her gum drops for her cough.
“You would certainly not be in our way,” Gervaise ended by saying.
“We could so arrange things — “
“No, no, thanks,” repeated the hatter.
“You’re too kind; it would be asking too much.”
Coupeau could no longer restrain himself.
Was he going to continue making objections when they told him it was freely offered?
He would be obliging them.
There, did he understand?
Then in an excited tone of voice he yelled:
“Etienne!
Etienne!”
The youngster had fallen asleep on the table.
He raised his head with a start.
“Listen, tell him that you wish it.