People might jabber about them; he knew what he knew and did not care a straw for their gossip, for he had respectability on his side.

When they all three went out walking on Sundays, he made his wife and the hatter walk arm-in-arm before him, just by way of swaggering in the street; and he watched the people, quite prepared to administer a drubbing if anyone had ventured on the least joke.

It was true that he regarded Lantier as a bit of a high flyer.

He accused him of avoiding hard liquor and teased him because he could read and spoke like an educated man.

Still, he accepted him as a regular comrade.