From that evening, in fact, they watched for every opportunity to twit her about her hopeless dream.

When any one spoke of some impossible wish, they would say that it might be realized on the day that Gervaise started in business, in a beautiful shop opening onto the street.

And behind her back they would laugh fit to split their sides.

She did not like to think such an unkind thing, but, really, the Lorilleuxs now seemed to be very pleased at Coupeau's accident, as it prevented her setting up as a laundress in the Rue de la Goutte-d'Or.
Then she also wished to laugh, and show them how willingly she parted with the money for the sake of curing her husband.

Each time she took the savings-bank book from beneath the glass clock-tower in their presence, she would say gaily: "I'm going out; I'm going to rent my shop." She had not been willing to withdraw the money all at once.