At first he had been about to knock her down; then, after having wiped his face with the movement of a man who is recovering from intoxication, he said to Chaval, in the midst of deep silence:
Il avait failli d'abord l'assommer. Puis, apres s'etre essuyé la face, dans un geste d'homme qui se dégrise, il dit a Chaval, au milieu d'un grand silence: