, that IS a nuisance, dear
boy. They've always sickened me, cuckolds have."

When at length she went into the private room she noticed that Muffat
was sitting resignedly on a narrow divan with pale face and twitching
hands. He did not reproach her at all, and she, greatly moved, was
divided between feelings of pity and of contempt. The poor man! To think
of his being so unworthily cheated by a vile wife! She had a good mind
to throw her arms round his neck and comfort him. But it was only fair
all the same! He was a fool with women, and this would teach him a
lesson! Nevertheless, pity overcame her. She did not get rid of him
as she had determined to do after the oysters had been discussed. They
scarcely stayed a quarter of an hour in the Cafe Anglais, and together
they went into the house in the Boulevard Haussmann. It was then eleven.
Before midnight she would have easily have discovered some means of
getting rid of him kindly.

In the anteroom, however, she took the precaution of giving Zoe an
order. "You'll look out for him, and you'll tell him not to make a noise
if the other man's still with me."

"But where shall I put him, madame?"

"Keep him in the kitchen. It's more safe."

In the room inside Muffat was already taking off his overcoat. A big
fire was burning on the hearth. It was the same room as of old, with
its rosewood furniture and its hangings and chair coverings of figured
damask with the large blue flowers on a gray background. On two
occasions Nana had thought of having it redone, the first in black
velvet, the second in white satin with bows, but directly Steiner
consented she demanded the money that these changes would cost simply
with a view to pillaging him. She had, indeed, only indulged in a tiger
skin rug for the hearth and a cut-glass hanging lamp.

"I'm not sleepy; I'm not going to bed," she said the moment they were
shut in together.

The count obeyed her submissively, as became a man no longer afraid of
being seen. His one care now was to avoid vexing her.

"As you will," he murmured.

Nevertheless, he took his boots off, too, before seating himself in
front of the fire. One of Nana's pleasures consisted in undressing
herself in front of the mirror on her wardrobe door, which reflected
her whole height. She would let everything slip off her in turn and then
would stand perfectly naked and gaze and gaze in complete oblivion of
all around her. Passion for her own body, ecstasy over