For two years she had been longing for one of those hearts, and now he had smashed it! This was too much, she was reaching the end of the line with him.
Coupeau was often in the wrong in the manner in which he tried to rule Nana.

His injustice exasperated her.

She at last left off attending the workshop and when the zinc-worker gave her a hiding, she declared she would not return to Titreville's again, for she was always placed next to Augustine, who must have swallowed her feet to have such a foul breath.

Then Coupeau took her himself to the Rue du Caire and requested the mistress of the establishment to place her always next to Augustine, by way of punishment.

Every morning for a fortnight he took the trouble to come down from the Barriere Poissonniere to escort Nana to the door of the flower shop.