He burst out laughing after she had removed his trousers and kicked about, pretending that she was tickling him.

At last she tucked him in carefully like a child.

Was he comfortable now?
But he did not answer; he called to Clemence: "I say, my lovely, I'm here, and waiting for you!" When Gervaise went back into the shop, the squint-eyed Augustine was being properly chastised by Clemence because of a dirty iron that Madame Putois had used and which had caused her to soil a camisole.

Clemence, in defending herself for not having cleaned her iron, blamed Augustine, swearing that it wasn't hers, in spite of the spot of burned starch still clinging to the bottom.

The apprentice, outraged at the injustice, openly spat on the front of Clemence's dress, earning a slap for her boldness.