houlders; as
to Mignon, he was busy discussing the terms of the agreement with
Bordenave.

"What's up?" she demanded curtly.

"Nothing," said her husband. "Bordenave here is giving ten thousand
francs in order to get you to give up your part."

She grew tremulous with anger and very pale, and she clenched her little
fists. For some moments she stared at him, her whole nature in revolt.
Ordinarily in matters of business she was wont to trust everything
obediently to her husband, leaving him to sign agreements with managers
and lovers. Now she could but cry:

"Oh, come, you're too base for anything!"

The words fell like a lash. Then she sped away, and Mignon, in utter
astonishment, ran after her. What next? Was she going mad? He began
explaining to her in low tones that ten thousand francs from one party
and fifteen thousand from the other came to twenty-five thousand. A
splendid deal! Muffat was getting rid of her in every sense of the word;
it was a pretty trick to have plucked him of this last feather! But Rose
in her anger vouchsafed no answer. Whereupon Mignon in disdain left her
to her feminine spite and, turning to Bordenave, who was once more on
the stage with Fauchery and Muffat, said:

"We'll sign tomorrow morning. Have the money in readiness."

At this moment Nana, to whom Labordette had brought the news, came down
to the stage in triumph. She was quite the honest woman now and wore
a most distinguished expression in order to overwhelm her friends and
prove to the idiots that when she chose she could give them all points
in the matter of smartness. But she nearly got into trouble, for at the
sight of her Rose darted forward, choking with rage and stuttering:

"Yes, you, I'll pay you out! Things can't go on like this; d'you
understand?" Nana forgot herself in face of this brisk attack and was
going to put her arms akimbo and give her what for. But she controlled
herself and, looking like a marquise who is afraid of treading on an
orange peel, fluted in still more silvery tones.

"Eh, what?" said she. "You're mad, my dear!"

And with that she continued in her graceful affectation while Rose took
her departure, followed by Mignon, who now refused to recognize her.
Clarisse was enraptured, having just obtained the part of Geraldine from
Bordenave. Fauchery, on the other hand, was gloomy; he shifted from one
foot to the other; he could not decide whether to leave the theater or
no. His piece was bedevil