L'Assommoir: A Play in Five Acts. Emile Zola

      Madame Gervaise—they told me you met (noticing Lantier) Ah, you are there! That’s nice! I’ve been chasing after you for an hour.

      LANTIER (turning)

      After me. Why’s that?

      COUPEAU (seeing Lantier pack his trunk)

      What’s that you’re doing?

      LANTIER

      Nothing. Straightening up my linen.

      COUPEAU

      Then, you’ve seen your wife?

      LANTIER

      No doubt, I’ve seen her.

      COUPEAU

      She was very sad, very worried.

      LANTIER

      Ah! She told you.

      COUPEAU

      You want to know what I say, Lantier? It’s not right for you to hurt Gervaise who loves you so much.

      LANTIER

      Look here, you! Are you going to bore me with your moralizing? Meddle with what concerns you.

      (Gervaise enters without seeing Coupeau)

      GERVAISE

      Here’s all they gave me. Four francs. I tried to get five for it. There was no way.

      LANTIER (abruptly)

      That’s good. Put that on the chimney.

      COUPEAU (aside)

      They’re at it!

      GERVAISE (noticing Coupeau)

      Ah, Mr. Coupeau, I didn’t see you. (to Lantier) While I’m at the washhouse you will go find something for lunch.

      LANTIER

      Yes! Yes!

      GERVAISE (heading towards the trunk)

      I’m going to take your linen.

      LANTIER

      No. It’s not necessary.

      GERVAISE

      But, it really still needs—

      LANTIER (snatching the linen from her and hurling it in the trunk)

      Damnation! Obey me for once! If I tell you to leave it alone!

      COUPEAU (trying to calm him)

      Lantier!

      LANTIER

      It’s not about Lantier! She must obey!

      GERVAISE (uneasy)

      Why don’t you want me to take your linen as I usually do?

      LANTIER (embarrassed)

      Why? Why? You are going to say everywhere that you’re busy with me. Well, that bores me! Do your business, I will do mine. Go to the wash!

      GERVAISE

      That’s good. (aside) He’s got bad ideas for certain. (she leaves, making a sign of goodbye to Coupeau)

      (Hardly has Gervaise closed the door than Lantier finishes packing the truck)

      LANTIER

      At last! That’s not bad!

      COUPEAU (surprised)

      What is it you’re doing?

      LANTIER

      What am I doing? I am changing my residence.

      COUPEAU

      Huh?

      LANTIER

      I’ve had enough of this hell. I am resuming my life as a bachelor.

      COUPEAU

      You’re abandoning Gervaise?

      LANTIER

      A bit, my nephew! Let’s see, I’m not forgetting anything. (he looks around) That, that’s mine. (stops before the money) Bah! Since she’s working with her washerwoman tomorrow. (puts the money in his pocket, then looks out the window) There are some cabs on the square. En route! (leaving the trunk on the landing) You can deliver her her key. Here! With a real goodbye on my part.

      COUPEAU (following him)

      Lantier! Lantier! You can’t possibly be doing this.

      LANTIER (gaily)

      Goodbye old boy. One of these days. (he leaves)

      COUPEAU (alone)

      Ah! Evil heart! To drag a woman who loves you from the end of France and leave her without a penny on the pavements of Paris! The police ought to pick up men like that! That poor Gervaise, I don’t have the heart to announce it to her myself, I would weep with her! I’m going to have her key sent to her. She will understand. (leaves and shuts the door)

      CURTAIN

      ACT I, SCENE 2

      A large washhouse at La Chapelle. A vast hangar with large empty bays. Rows of wash pails to the right and left.

      At Rise, a great uproar. Songs and the noise of beating.

      CATHERINE

      Where’d I put my soap? They’ve taken my soap again.

      LOUISE

      Give me the soda.

      MADAME BOCHE (at the right, near the audience)

      But, where’s Charles the washboy? (calling) Charles! Charles! (seeing him arrive) Finally, that’s lucky.

      CHARLES

      What do you want, Madame Boche?

      MADAME BOCHE

      A pail of hot water and fast.

      JULIETTE (laughing)

      Especially, don’t think about drinking it on the way.

      CATHERINE

      Oh, it’s not with water that he freshens up.

      MADAME BOCHE

      What a barracks this wash place is! When you don’t need a thing, you get immediate service.

      JULIETTE and CATHERINE (singing at the left)

      Boom, boom, boom,

      Margay’s doing the wash!

      Boom, boom, boom, the wash is beaten.

      Boom, boom, boom, go wash his heart

      Boom, boom, boom, all filthy with sorrow!

      CHARLES (bringing a pail of hot water to Madame Boche)

      That’s your water. It’s a sou.

      MADAME BOCHE (giving him a sou)

      Here, my lad. By the way, you know I’m keeping a place for a neighbor girl who’s going to come. Oh! There she is now! (seeing Gervaise enter, calling) Over here, my little friend.

      GERVAISE

      Thanks, Madame Boche.

      MADAME BOCHE

      Put yourself there. (Gervaise opens her box) Your pack is quite small! Before noon we will have finished that and we can go to lunch. You’re not taking a bucket of lye water?

      GERVAISE (meanwhile has pulled out her linen)

      Oh. Hot water is fine. It knows me.

      MADAME BOCHE

      It knows you, huh? You were a washerwoman in your country?

      GERVAISE (rolling up her sleeves and beating her linen)

      Yes, yes, a washerwoman at ten years old. Eight years since then We went to the