she would prevent the men from coming dangling
after her. Fontain was very nice. He did not say no to anything but just
let her do as she liked. Nay, he even displayed an admirable spirit
of comradeship. He had, on his part, nearly seven thousand francs, and
despite the fact that people accused him of stinginess, he consented
to add them to the young woman's ten thousand. The sum struck them as
a solid foundation on which to begin housekeeping. And so they started
away, drawing from their common hoard, in order to hire and furnish the
two rooms in the Rue Veron, and sharing everything together like old
friends. In the early days it was really delicious.

On Twelfth Night Mme Lerat and Louiset were the first to arrive. As
Fontan had not yet come home, the old lady ventured to give expression
to her fears, for she trembled to see her niece renouncing the chance of
wealth.

"Oh, Aunt, I love him so dearly!" cried Nana, pressing her hands to her
heart with the prettiest of gestures.

This phrase produced an extraordinary effect on Mme Lerat, and tears
came into her eyes.

"That's true," she said with an air of conviction. "Love before all
things!"

And with that she went into raptures over the prettiness of the rooms.
Nana took her to see the bedroom, the parlor and the very kitchen.
Gracious goodness, it wasn't a vast place, but then, they had painted it
afresh and put up new wallpapers. Besides, the sun shone merrily into it
during the daytime.

Thereupon Mme Lerat detained the young woman in the bedroom, while
Louiset installed himself behind the charwoman in the kitchen in order
to watch a chicken being roasted. If, said Mme Lerat, she permitted
herself to say what was in her mind, it was because Zoe had just been
at her house. Zoe had stayed courageously in the breach because she was
devoted to her mistress. Madame would pay her later on; she was in no
anxiety about that! And amid the breakup of the Boulevard Haussmann
establishment it was she who showed the creditors a bold front; it was
she who conducted a dignified retreat, saving what she could from the
wreck and telling everyone that her mistress was traveling. She never
once gave them her address. Nay, through fear of being followed,
she even deprived herself of the pleasure of calling on Madame.
Nevertheless, that same morning she had run round to Mme Lerat's because
matters were taking a new turn. The evening before creditors in the
persons of the upho