Only he and Gervaise could eat this soup, the others being too used to Parisian cooking.
Little by little Lantier also came to mixing himself up in the affairs of the family.

As the Lorilleuxs always grumbled at having to part with the five francs for mother Coupeau, he explained that an action could be brought against them.

They must think that they had a set of fools to deal with! It was ten francs a month which they ought to give! And he would go up himself for the ten francs so boldly and yet so amiably that the chainmaker never dared refuse them.

Madame Lerat also gave two five-franc pieces now.

Mother Coupeau could have kissed Lantier's hands.
He was, moreover, the grand arbiter in all the quarrels between the old woman and Gervaise.