hes! It even got to such a point that
I caught her a box on the ear. She was too much bored by existence, she
said; she wanted to get out of it. By and by, when she began to say,
''Tisn't you, after all, who've got the right to prevent me,' I said
to her: 'you're a miserable wretch; you're bringing dishonor upon us.
Begone!' And it was done. I consented to arrange about it. But my last
hope's blooming well blasted, and, oh, I used to dream about such nice
things!"

The noise of a quarrel caused them to rise. It was Georges in the act of
defending Vandeuvres against certain vague rumors which were circulating
among the various groups.

"Why should you say that he's laying off his own horse?" the young man
was exclaiming. "Yesterday in the Salon des Courses he took the odds on
Lusignan for a thousand louis."

"Yes, I was there," said Philippe in affirmation of this. "And he didn't
put a single louis on Nana. If the betting's ten to one against Nana
he's got nothing to win there. It's absurd to imagine people are so
calculating. Where would his interest come in?"

Labordette was listening with a quiet expression. Shrugging his
shoulders, he said:

"Oh, leave them alone; they must have their say. The count has again
laid at least as much as five hundred louis on Lusignan, and if he's
wanted Nana to run to a hundred louis it's because an owner ought always
to look as if he believes in his horses."

"Oh, bosh! What the deuce does that matter to us?" shouted La
Faloise with a wave of his arms. "Spirit's going to win! Down with
France--bravo, England!"

A long shiver ran through the crowd, while a fresh peal from the bell
announced the arrival of the horses upon the racecourse. At this Nana
got up and stood on one of the seats of her carriage so as to obtain
a better view, and in so doing she trampled the bouquets of roses and
myosotis underfoot. With a sweeping glance she took in the wide, vast
horizon. At this last feverish moment the course was empty and closed by
gray barriers, between the posts of which stood a line of policemen.
The strip of grass which lay muddy in front of her grew brighter as it
stretched away and turned into a tender green carpet in the distance.
In the middle landscape, as she lowered her eyes, she saw the field
swarming with vast numbers of people, some on tiptoe, others perched on
carriages, and all heaving and jostling in sudden passionate excitement.

Horses were neighing; tent canvases