Besides, mother Coupeau wasn't too old to work.

She could see well enough when she was trying to pick a choice morsel from the platter.

She was just an old spendthrift trying to get others to provide her with comforts.

Even had he had the means, he would have considered it wrong to support any one in idleness.
Gervaise remained conciliatory, and peaceably argued against all this bad reasoning.

She tried to soften the Lorilleuxs.