Only it's scarcely the way to pay off your debt; I say that for your sake, you know.

Really now, you should be careful." Gervaise received the lecture with bowed head and stammering excuses.
The ten francs were to make up the amount of a bill she had given her coke merchant.

But on hearing the word "bill," Madame Goujet became severer still.

She gave herself as an example; she had reduced her expenditure ever since Goujet's wages had been lowered from twelve to nine francs a day.

When one was wanting in wisdom whilst young, one dies of hunger in one's old age.