At luncheon she was quite gay.
"This is what we will do," said she to her children. "I will go to Paris
to-morrow. There I will look out for a small mercery business for sale,
and Therese and myself will resume selling needles and cotton, which
will give us something to do. You, Camille, will act as you like. You
can either stroll about in the sun, or you can find some employment."
"I shall find employment," answered the young man.
The truth was that an idiotic ambition had alone impelled Camille to
leave Vernon. He wished to find a post in some important administration.
He blushed with delight when he fancied he saw himself in the middle of
a large office, with lustring elbow sleeves, and a pen behind his ear.
Therese was not consulted: she had always displayed such passive
obedience that her aunt and husband no longer took the trouble to ask
her opinion. She went where they went, she did what they did, without a
complaint, without a reproach, without appearing even to be aware that
she changed her place of residence.
Madame Raquin came to Paris, and went straight to the Arcade of the Pont
Neuf. An old maid at Vernon had sent her to one of her relatives who
in this arcade kept a mercery shop which she desired to get rid of.
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