She had a rattle in her throat and in an altered voice, she exclaimed, "Here's something that'll settle you! Get your dirty linen ready!" Gervaise quickly thrust out her hand, and also seized a beetle, and held it up like a club; and she too spoke in a choking voice, "Ah! you want to wash.

Let me get hold of your skin that I may beat it into dish-cloths!" For a moment they remained there, on their knees, menacing each other.
Their hair all over their faces, their breasts heaving, muddy, swelling with rage, they watched one another, as they waited and took breath.
Gervaise gave the first blow.

Her beetle glided off Virginie's shoulder, and she at once threw herself on one side to avoid the latter's beetle, which grazed her hip.

Then, warming to their work they struck at each other like washerwomen beating clothes, roughly, and in time.

Whenever there was a hit, the sound was deadened, so that one might have thought it a blow in a tub full of water.