the close of September, as
she was walking with Satin in the Boulevard Poissonniere, the latter
suddenly began tearing along at a terrible pace. And when Nana asked her
what she meant thereby:

"It's the plain-clothes men!" whispered Satin. "Off with you! Off with
you!" A wild stampede took place amid the surging crowd. Skirts streamed
out behind and were torn. There were blows and shrieks. A woman fell
down. The crowd of bystanders stood hilariously watching this rough
police raid while the plain-clothes men rapidly narrowed their circle.
Meanwhile Nana had lost Satin. Her legs were failing her, and she would
have been taken up for a certainty had not a man caught her by the arm
and led her away in front of the angry police. It was Prulliere, and he
had just recognized her. Without saying a word he turned down the Rue
Rougemont with her. It was just then quite deserted, and she was able to
regain breath there, but at first her faintness and exhaustion were such
that he had to support her. She did not even thank him.

"Look here," he said, "you must recover a bit. Come up to my rooms."

He lodged in the Rue Bergere close by. But she straightened herself up
at once.

"No, I don't want to."

Thereupon he waxed coarse and rejoined:

"Why don't you want to, eh? Why, everybody visits my rooms."

"Because I don't."

In her opinion that explained everything. She was too fond of Fontan to
betray him with one of his friends. The other people ceased to count the
moment there was no pleasure in the business, and necessity compelled
her to it. In view of her idiotic obstinacy Prulliere, as became a
pretty fellow whose vanity had been wounded, did a cowardly thing.

"Very well, do as you like!" he cried. "Only I don't side with you, my
dear. You must get out of the scrape by yourself."

And with that he left her. Terrors got hold of her again, and scurrying
past shops and turning white whenever a man drew nigh, she fetched an
immense compass before reaching Montmartre.

On the morrow, while still suffering from the shock of last night's
terrors, Nana went to her aunt's and at the foot of a small empty street
in the Batignolles found herself face to face with Labordette. At first
they both appeared embarrassed, for with his usual complaisance he was
busy on a secret errand. Nevertheless, he was the first to regain his
self-possession and to announce himself fortunate in meeting her. Yes,
certainly, everybody was still wo