"

Gaga behaved meltingly because she had felt the young man's knee gently
placed against her own. He was blushing hotly and lisping as elegantly
as ever. She weighed him at a glance. Not a very heavy little gentleman,
to be sure, but then she wasn't hard to please. La Faloise obtained her
address.

"Just look there," murmured Vandeuvres to Clarisse. "I think Gaga's
doing you out of your Hector."

"A good riddance, so far as I'm concerned," replied the actress. "That
fellow's an idiot. I've already chucked him downstairs three times. You
know, I'm disgusted when dirty little boys run after old women."

She broke off and with a little gesture indicated Blanche, who from the
commencement of dinner had remained in a most uncomfortable attitude,
sitting up very markedly, with the intention of displaying her shoulders
to the old distinguished-looking gentleman three seats beyond her.

"You're being left too," she resumed.

Vandeuvres smiled his thin smile and made a little movement to signify
he did not care. Assuredly 'twas not he who would ever have prevented
poor, dear Blanche scoring a success. He was more interested by the
spectacle which Steiner was presenting to the table at large. The banker
was noted for his sudden flames. That terrible German Jew who brewed
money, whose hands forged millions, was wont to turn imbecile whenever
he became enamored of a woman. He wanted them all too! Not one could
make her appearance on the stage but he bought her, however expensive
she might be. Vast sums were quoted. Twice had his furious appetite
for courtesans ruined him. The courtesans, as Vandeuvres used to say,
avenged public morality by emptying his moneybags. A big operation in
the saltworks of the Landes had rendered him powerful on 'change, and
so for six weeks past the Mignons had been getting a pretty slice out of
those same saltworks. But people were beginning to lay wagers that the
Mignons would not finish their slice, for Nana was showing her white
teeth. Once again Steiner was in the toils, and so deeply this time that
as he sat by Nana's side he seemed stunned; he ate without appetite;
his lip hung down; his face was mottled. She had only to name a
figure. Nevertheless, she did not hurry but continued playing with him,
breathing her merry laughter into his hairy ear and enjoying the little
convulsive movements which kept traversing his heavy face. There would
always be time enough to patch all that up if that n