and without stopping to take
breath she drew from behind her stays an envelope in which there were
four hundred-franc notes. They were visible through a large rent she had
torn with savage fingers in order to be sure of the contents. The three
women round about her stared fixedly at the envelope, a big, crumpled,
dirty receptacle, as it lay clasped in her small gloved hands.

It was too late now--Mme Lerat would not go to Rambouillet till
tomorrow, and Nana entered into long explanations.

"There's company waiting for you," the lady's maid repeated.

But Nana grew excited again. The company might wait: she'd go to them
all in good time when she'd finished. And as her aunt began putting her
hand out for the money:

"Ah no! Not all of it," she said. "Three hundred francs for the nurse,
fifty for your journey and expenses, that's three hundred and fifty.
Fifty francs I keep."

The big difficulty was how to find change. There were not ten francs in
the house. But they did not even address themselves to Mme Maloir who,
never having more than a six-sou omnibus fair upon her, was listening
in quite a disinterested manner. At length Zoe went out of the room,
remarking that she would go and look in her box, and she brought back a
hundred francs in hundred-sou pieces. They were counted out on a corner
of the table, and Mme Lerat took her departure at once after having
promised to bring Louiset back with her the following day.

"You say there's company there?" continued Nana, still sitting on the
chair and resting herself.

"Yes, madame, three people."

And Zoe mentioned the banker first. Nana made a face. Did that man
Steiner think she was going to let herself be bored because he had
thrown her a bouquet yesterday evening?

"Besides, I've had enough of it," she declared. "I shan't receive today.
Go and say you don't expect me now."

"Madame will think the matter over; Madame will receive Monsieur
Steiner," murmured Zoe gravely, without budging from her place. She was
annoyed to see her mistress on the verge of committing another foolish
mistake.

Then she mentioned the Walachian, who ought by now to find time hanging
heavy on his hands in the bedroom. Whereupon Nana grew furious and more
obstinate than ever. No, she would see nobody, nobody! Who'd sent her
such a blooming leech of a man?

"Chuck 'em all out! I--I'm going to play a game of bezique with Madame
Maloir. I prefer doing that."

The bell interrupted her