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Updated: May 3, 2025
Her instinct had at last prompted her; she was backing Nana. La Faloise meanwhile was making an insufferable noise. He was getting wild over Frangipane. "I've an inspiration," he kept shouting. "Just look at Frangipane. What an action, eh? I back Frangipane at eight to one. Who'll take me?" "Do keep quiet now," said Labordette at last. "You'll be sorry for it if you do."
Just look at me a bit! Why, I shouldn't be Nana any longer if I fastened a man on behind! And, besides, it's too foul!" And she spat and hiccuped with disgust, as though she had seen all the dirt in the world spread out beneath her. One evening La Faloise vanished, and a week later it became known that he was in the country with an uncle whose mania was botany.
He did not wait for him and took his departure immediately, for he was due at his newspaper office. "At Nana's at midnight, eh?" La Faloise retired too. Steiner had made his bow to the countess. Other men followed them, and the same phrase went round "At midnight, at Nana's" as they went to get their overcoats in the anteroom.
The entrance hall was now empty, while beyond it was still heard the long-drawn rumble of the boulevard. "As though they were always funny, those pieces of theirs!" Lucy kept repeating as she climbed the stair. In the house Fauchery and La Faloise, in front of their stalls, were gazing about them anew. By this time the house was resplendent.
Close to him, a very young man, seventeen years old at the outside, some truant from college, it may be, was straining wide a pair of fine eyes such as a cherub might have owned. Fauchery smiled when he looked at him. "Who is that lady in the balcony?" La Faloise asked suddenly. "The lady with a young girl in blue beside her."
Georges was vexed with La Faloise for telling an anecdote. Certainly Nana had fubbed off on Muffat one of her old flames as son-in-law; only it was not true that she had been to bed with Daguenet as lately as yesterday. Foucarmont made bold to shrug his shoulders. Could anyone ever tell when Nana was in bed with anyone?
But Nana was astonished to find Gaga in her carriage, sitting with Bijou and Louiset on her knees. Gaga had indeed decided on this course of action in order to be near La Faloise, but she told Nana that she had been anxious to kiss Baby. She adored children. "By the by, what about Lili?" asked Nana. "That's certainly she over there in that old fellow's brougham.
Indeed, nobody was asking for the filly; she was not even being mentioned. The outsider of the Vandeuvres's stud was swamped by Lusignan's popularity. But La Faloise flung his arms up, crying: "I've an inspiration. I'll bet a louis on Nana." "Bravo! I bet a couple," said Georges. "And I three," added Philippe.
"But he's quite the thing!" declared Nana in perfect enchantment. Gaga and Clarisse had called La Faloise and were throwing themselves at him in their efforts to regain his allegiance, but he left them immediately, rolling off in a chaffing, disdainful manner. Nana dazzled him. He rushed up to her and stood on the carriage step, and when she twitted him about Gaga he murmured: "Oh dear, no!
Gaga, in the meantime, had once more caught La Faloise and had almost hoisted him upon her knees while Clarisse was disappearing from view between two gentlemen, shaking with nervous laughter as women will when they are tickled.
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