GERMINAL
other end of the room. "You ought to be ashamed of being always in your father's plate; and even if he was the only one to have any, doesn't he work, while all you, a lot of good-for-nothings, can't do anything but spend! Yes, and the more the bigger you are."
Maheu called them back. He seated Lènore on his left thigh, Henri on the right; then he finished the chitterlings by playing at dinner with them. He cut small pieces, and each had his share. The children devoured with delight.
When he had finished, he said to his wife:
"No, don't give me my coffee. I'm going to wash first; and just give me a hand to throw away this dirty water."
They took hold of the handles of the tub and emptied it into the gutter before the door, when Jeanlin came down in dry breeches, and a woollen blouse, too large for him, which was weary of fading on his brother's back. Seeing him sulkily going out through the open door, his mother stopped him:
"Where are you off to?"
"Over there."
"Where? Over there! Listen to me. You go and gather a dandelion salad for this evening. Eh, do you hear? If you don't bring a salad back you'll have to deal with me."
"All right!"
Jeanlin set out with hands in his pockets, trailing his sabots and slouching along, with his slender loins of a ten-year-old shrimp, like an old miner. In his turn, Zacharie came down, more carefully dressed, his body covered by a black woollen knitted jacket with blue stripes. His father called out to him not to return late; and he left, nodding his head with his pipe between his teeth, without replying. Again the tub was filled with warm water. Maheu was already slowly taking off his jacket. At a look, Alzire led Lènore and Henri outside to play. The father did not like washing en famille, as was practised in many houses in the settlement. He blamed no one, however; he simply said that it was good for the children to dabble together.
"What are you doing up there?" cried Maheude, up the staircase.
"I'm mending my dress that I tore yesterday," replied Catherine.
[100]
