What was the sense in spending all that money? In addition to which, she was bit shy: she thought there was no point in spreading news of the marriage all round the neighbourhood. But Coupeau protested: they couldn’t just get married like that, not without at least having a meal with some friends. Oh, he didn’t give a fig for the neighbourhood! It would be something quite simple: a little outing in the afternoon, then they’d go and share a rabbit or two at the first chophouse or dining-rooms they saw. Needless to say, there’d be no music over dessert, no clarinet to give the ladies a chance to wiggle their bottoms. Just a drink, a toast and then everybody back home for a bit of shut-eye. The roof-mender, with a nudge and a wink, made the young woman’s mind up for her when he swore that no one would have a good time: he would keep an eye on the glasses, to prevent anyone coming down with sunstroke. So he set about organizing a picnic for five francs a head at Auguste’s, at the Moulin-d’ Argent, on the Boulevard de la Chapelle.
