driver,
waited till the last moment. Very cool, indeed, amid all these disputes,
very far above the ever-increasing uproar in which horses' names kept
recurring and lively Parisian phrases mingled with guttural English
exclamations, she sat listening and taking notes majestically.

"And Nana?" said Georges. "Does no one want her?"

Indeed, nobody was asking for the filly; she was not even being
mentioned. The outsider of the Vandeuvres's stud was swamped by
Lusignan's popularity. But La Faloise flung his arms up, crying:

"I've an inspiration. I'll bet a louis on Nana."

"Bravo! I bet a couple," said Georges.

"And I three," added Philippe.

And they mounted up and up, bidding against one another good-humoredly
and naming prices as though they had been haggling over Nana at
an auction. La Faloise said he would cover her with gold. Besides,
everybody was to be made to back her; they would go and pick up backers.
But as the three young men were darting off to propagandize, Nana
shouted after them:

"You know I don't want to have anything to do with her; I don't for the
world! Georges, ten louis on Lusignan and five on Valerio II."

Meanwhile they had started fairly off, and she watched them gaily as
they slipped between wheels, ducked under horses' heads and scoured the
whole field. The moment they recognized anyone in a carriage they rushed
up and urged Nana's claims. And there were great bursts of laughter
among the crowd when sometimes they turned back, triumphantly signaling
amounts with their fingers, while the young woman stood and waved her
sunshade. Nevertheless, they made poor enough work of it. Some men let
themselves be persuaded; Steiner, for instance, ventured three louis,
for the sight of Nana stirred him. But the women refused point-blank.
"Thanks," they said; "to lose for a certainty!" Besides, they were in no
hurry to work for the benefit of a dirty wench who was overwhelming
them all with her four white horses, her postilions and her outrageous
assumption of side. Gaga and Clarisse looked exceedingly prim and asked
La Faloise whether he was jolly well making fun of them. When Georges
boldly presented himself before the Mignons' carriage Rose turned her
head away in the most marked manner and did not answer him. One must be
a pretty foul sort to let one's name be given to a horse! Mignon, on the
contrary, followed the young man's movements with a look of amusement
and declared that the women alw