"He
was a giant of twenty-three, with rosy cheeks and blue eyes, and the
strength of a Hercules. In the workshop he was known as Gueule d'Or,
on account of his yellow beard. With his square head, his heavy frame,
torpid after the hard work at the anvil, he was like a great animal,
dull of intellect and good of heart." For a time the Coupeaus were
his neighbours, and he came to love Gervaise with a perfectly innocent
affection, which survived all disillusionments, and subsisted up to the
time of her death. It was he who lent her money to start a laundry, and
afterwards repeatedly assisted her when in difficulties. L'Assommoir.
GOUJET (MADAME), mother of the preceding, was a lace-mender, and lived
with her son in part of the house first occupied by the Coupeaus. She
showed much kindness to them, though she was distressed by her son's
infatuation for Gervaise, and did not altogether approve of his lending
her money to start a laundry. Notwithstanding this, she continued to
assist Gervaise until neglect of work entrusted made it impossible to do
so longer. She died in October, 1868, of acute rheumatism.
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