One would hardly believe how heavy clothes are, especially when there are sheets among them.
"Are you sure you've brought everything ?" asked Madame Goujet.
She was very strict on that point.

She insisted on having her washing brought home without a single article being kept back for the sake of order, as she said.

She also required the laundress always to come on the day arranged and at the same hour; in that way there was no time wasted.
"Oh! yes, everything is here," replied Gervaise smiling.

"You know I never leave anything behind." "That's true," admitted Madame Goujet; "you've got into many bad habits but you're still free of that one." And while the laundress emptied her basket, laying the linen on the bed, the old woman praised her; she never burnt the things nor tore them like so many others did, neither did she pull the buttons off with the iron; only she used too much blue and made the shirt-fronts too stiff with starch.
"Just look, it's like cardboard," continued she, making one crackle between her fingers.

"My son does not complain, but it cuts his neck.
To-morrow his neck will be all scratched when we return from Vincennes." "No, don't say that!" exclaimed Gervaise, quite grieved.