Chapter 2 Part 2 - Nana, by Zola

"I'm three hundred and forty. It's your play.”

"I lead hearts." When Zoe returned, she found them once more deep in the game. After a short silence, and as Madame Lerat gathered up the cards and shuffled them, Madame Maloir asked: "Who was it?" "Oh! no one," answered the maid, carelessly, "only a youngster. I ought to have sent him about his business; but he is so pretty, without a hair on his face, and with blue eyes and such a girlish figure, that I told him he could wait. He has an enormous bou- quet in his hand, and he won't leave go of it. He deserves to be whipped, a brat who ought still to be at college!" Madame Lerat got up to fetch hot water to concoct some grog; the sugar and coffee had made her thirsty. Zoe murmured that, all the same, she could manage some as well. Her mouth had a bitter taste like gall. "Well, and where have you put him?" resumed Madame Maloir. "Why, in the little spare room that isn't furnished? It just holds one of madame's trunks and a table. That's where I put such youngsters." And she was sweetening her grog with several lumps of sugar, when another ring at the bell made her jump. Hang it all! wasn't she to be allowed to have a drink in peace, now? If what they had already had was only the beginning of it, it promised to be lively. However, she hastened to see who was there. Then, when she returned, seeing Madame Maloir's questioning look, "Only a bou- quet," she observed. They all three drank, after nodding to each other. The bell rang again twice, as Zoe, at last, cleared the table, carrying the dirty plates to the sink one by one. But all this ringing was for nothing of any consequence. She kept the occupants of the kitchen well informed. Twice she came and repeated her disdainful phrase "Only a bouquet." However, the ladies had a good laugh between two of the deals, as she told them of the looks of the creditors in the anteroom when the flowers were brought. Madame would find her bouquets on her dressing-table. What a pity it was that they cost so much, and that one couldn't even raise ten sous on them! Well, there was a good deal of money wasted in the world. "For myself," said Madame Maloir, "I should be satisfied if I had every day what the men spend on the flowers they give the women in Paris." "I daresay, you are not at all hard to please," murmured Madame Lerat. "If I had only the money spent on the wire alone. My dear, sixty queens." It was ten minutes to four. Zoe was surprised could not understand at all how madame could remain out so long. Gen- erally, when madame found herself obliged to go out in the after- noon, she got it over in less than no time. But Madame Maloir observed that one was not always able to do as one would wish. One certainly met with many obstacles in life, declared Madame Lerat. The best thing to do was to wait. If her niece was late it was because she had been detained, was it not? Besides, they had nothing to complain of. It was very comfortable in the kitchen. And, as she had no more hearts in her hand, Madame Lerat played diamonds. The electric bell was again set in motion. When Zoe reappeared her face was quite radiant. "Fatty Steiner! girls," said she in a whisper, as soon as she got her head in at the door. " I put him in the parlour." Then Madame Maloir talked of the banker to Madame Lerat, who did not know any of that class of gentlemen. Was he going to chuck up Rose Mignon? Zoe wagged her head; she knew many things. But she was again obliged to go and answer the bell. "Well! this beats everything!" she murmured on returning. " It's the blackamoor! It was no use, though I told him again and again that madame was out; he has gone and made himself com- fortable in the bedroom. We did not expect him till this evening." At a quarter past four Nana was still absent. What could she be doing? It was most absurd of her. Then two more bouquets were brought. Zoe, not knowing what to do with herself, looked to see if there was any more coffee. Yes, the ladies would willingly finish the coffee, it would wake them up again. They were falling asleep, settled in their chairs, and continuously drawing cards from the pack with the same movement of their arms. The half past struck. Something, surely, must have happened to madame, they whispered to each other. All of a sudden, Madame Maloir, forgetting herself, exclaimed in a loud voice "Double bezique! Five hundred!" "Hold your row! will you?" cried Zoe, angrily. "What will all those gentlemen think?”

And in the silence which reigned, with the exception of a slight murmur, caused by the disputes of the two old women, was heard the sound of hastily approaching footsteps on the servants' stair- case. It was Nana at last. Before she opened the door one could hear her panting. She entered looking very red, and very abrupt in manner. Her skirt, the strings of which had probably broken, had dragged over the stairs, and the flounces had soaked in a regular pool some filth that had flowed from the first floor, where the cook was a perfect slut. "Here you are at last! well, it's fortunate!" said Madame Lerat, with a nasty look about her mouth, and still put out by Madame Maloir's double bezique. " You can flatter yourself that you know how to keep people waiting!" "Madame is really very foolish!" added Zoe. Nana, already out of temper, became exasperated by these re- proaches. Was that the way to receive her after all the unpleasant- ness she had gone through? "Mind your own business, can't you?" she cried. "Hush! madame, there are some people here, " said the maid. So, lowering her voice, the young woman faltered, all out of breath, "Do you think I've been amusing myself? I thought I should never have been able to get away. I should have liked to have seen you in my place. I was boiling. I was on the point of using my fists. And then, not a cab to be got to come back in. Fortunately it's close by. All the same, I ran as fast as I could." "Have you the money?" asked the aunt. "What a question!" replied Nana. She had seated herself in a chair close to the grate, her legs almost too tired to bear her, and, before she had even recovered her breath, she felt inside the body of her dress and drew forth an envelope, in which were four bank-notes of one hundred francs each. One could see the notes by a large tear she had made in the envelope with her finger so as to make sure of what it contained. The three women around her looked fixedly at the envelope of common paper, all crumpled and dirtied, in her little gloved hands. It was too late; Madame Lerat should not go to Rambouillet till the next day. Nana began to give her various instructions. "Madame, there are some people waiting," repeated the maid. But she again flew into a passion. The people could wait. She would attend to them by-and-by, when she had settled what she was about. Then, as her aunt put out her hand to take the money, "Oh! no, not all," said she. "Three hundred francs for the nurse, fifty francs for your journey and expenses, that makes three hundred and fifty. I shall keep fifty francs." The great difficulty was to get change. There were not ten francs in the place. They did not ask Madame Maloir, who was listening with an uninterested look, for she never had with her more than the six sous necessary for an omnibus. At length Zoe left them, saying that she would go and look in her trunk, and she shortly returned with a hundred francs, all in five franc pieces. They counted them on the corner of the table. Madame Lerat went off at once, promising to fetch little Louis on the morrow. "You say there are some people waiting?" resumed Nana, still sitting down, resting. "Yes, madame, three persons." And Zoe named the banker first. Nana pouted her lip. Did that Steiner think she was going to stand any of his nonsense, just because he had had a bouquet thrown to her on the previous evening? "Besides," she declared, "I've had enough for to-day. I shall not receive any one. Go and say that you no longer expect me." "Madame will reflect madame will receive M. Steiner," murmured Zoe, without stirring, looking very grave and annoyed to find her mistress on the point of behaving very foolishly. Then she spoke of the Wallachian, who must be beginning to find time hang very heavily on his hands all alone in the bedroom. But Nana got into a rage and became more obstinate. No, she would see no one! Why was she ever bothered with a fellow who would stick to her to that extent? "Kick 'em all out! I'm going to have a game at bezique with Madame Maioir. I like that much better." The ringing of the bell interrupted her. This was too much! How many more of them would come to bother her? She forbade Zoe to open the door. The latter, without listening to what she said, left the kitchen. When she returned, she stated in a per- emptory tone of voice, as she handed two cards to her mistress: "I told the gentlemen that madame would see them. They are in the drawing-room." Nana jumped up from her seat in a regular fury, but the names of the Marquis de Chouard and Count Muffat de Beuville, on the cards, calmed her. She remained an instant wrapped in thought. "Who are they?" she asked at length. "Do you know them?" "I know the old one," replied Zoe, discreetly; and as her mis- tress continued to question her with her eyes, ishe quietly added, " I have seen him at a certain place." This statement seemed to determine the young woman. She reluctantly left the kitchen, that warm refuge where one could gossip and take one's ease, with the smell of the coffee warming on the embers of the charcoal. She left behind her Madame Maloir, who was now cutting the cards and telling her own fortune. She had continued to keep her bonnet on, only, to be more at her ease, she had untied the strings and thrown the ends back over her shoulders. In the dressing-room, where Zoe rapidly helped her to change her things, Nana avenged herself for the worries she had to put up with by uttering in a low voice the most abomi- nable oaths against men in general. These foul expressions grieved the maid, for she saw with regret that her mistress was a long time in getting free of the evil effects of her early surroundings. She even ventured to beg of her to be calm. "Oh, pooh!" replied Nana, coarsely; "they are a set of pigs, and they like it." Nevertheless, she put on what she styled her princess look, and was moving towards the drawing-room, when Zoe stopped her, and, of her own accord, hastened to usher into the dressing- room the Marquis de Chouard and Count Muffat. It would be much better that way. " Gentlemen," said the young woman with studied politeness, " I regret that you have had to wait." The two men bowed and sat down. An embroidered blind subdued the light admitted into the ropm, which was the most elegantly furnished one of the set: it was hung with light drapery, and contained a handsome marble dressing-table, a large cheval- glass, with an inlaid frame, a reclining-chair, and several easy- chairs covered in blue satin. On the dressing-table were placed the bouquets of roses, lilac and hyacinths, quite a pyramid of flowers, emitting a strong and penetrating perfume; whilst in the moist atmosphere, with the insipid smell rising from the dirty water, an odour more pronounced could now and again be dis- cerned, emanating from a few sprigs of dry patchouli broken up into small pieces at the bottom of a cup. And cuddling herself up, drawing round her the unfastened dressing-gown she had slipped on, Nana appeared as though she had been surprised at her toilet, her skin scarcely dried, looking smiling though startled in the midst of her laces. "Madame," gravely said Count Muff at, "excuse our taking you thus by storm. We have called respecting a collection. This gentleman and myself are members of the poor relief committee for this district." The Marquis de Chouard gallantly hastened to add, "When we heard that a great actress lived in this house, we at once determined to call and personally plead the cause of our poor. Talent is ever allied to a generous heart." Nana made a great show of modesty. She acknowledged their remarks by slightly nodding her head, reflecting furiously, how- ever, all the time. It must have been the old one who had brought the other; his eyes looked so wicked. Yet, the other one too was to be mistrusted, his temples seemed curiously swollen; he might have managed to come alone. No doubt, they had heard about her from the concierge, and each had called on his own account. "Certainly, gentlemen, you were quite right to come," said she, most pleasantly. But the sound of the bell made her start. What! another visitor, and that Zoe who would persist in letting them in! "I am only too happy to be able to give," she continued. In reality, she felt extremely flattered. "Ah! madame," resumed the marquis, "if you but knew the extent of the misery! Our district contains more than three thousand poor, and yet it is one of the richest. You can have no idea of the amount of distress prevailing children without food, women lying ill, deprived of all necessities, dying of cold." "Poor people!" cried Nana deeply affected. Her pity was so great that tears filled her beautiful eyes. In an impulsive moment she leant forward, forgetting any longer to study her movements, and her open dressing-gown displayed all her neck, whilst her bended knees indicated, beneath the flimsy material, the roundness of her form. A slight tinge of colour illumined the ghastly pallor of the marquis's cheeks, and Count Muff at, who was on the point of speaking, lowered his eyes. It was decidedly too warm in that small room, it was heavy and close like a hot-house. The roses were drooping, and the smell of the patchouli in the cup was intoxicating. "One would like to be very rich on such occasions," added Nana. " However one does what one can. Believe me, gentlemen, had I only known " She was on the point of saying something foolish under the in- fluence of her emotion; but she recovered herself, and left the phrase unfinished. For a moment she remained perplexed, not recollecting where she had put the fifty francs when she took her dress off; but at length she recollected, they must be on a corner of her dressing-table under a pomatum-pot turned upside down. As she rose from her seat the bell sounded again, violently this time. Good! another one! Would it never cease? The count and the marquis had also risen, and the ears of the latter seemed to turn in the direction of the door; no doubt he knew what the frequent rings at the bell meant. Muffat glanced at him; then each looked on the ground; no doubt they were in each other's way. But they soon regained their composure, the one looking proud and strong, his head well covered with his dark brown hair, the other straightening his bony shoulders, over which fell his meagre crown of rare white hairs. "Really, gentlemen," said Nana, laughing, as she brought the ten big silver coins, " I'm afraid I shall burden you. Remember it is for the poor." And an adorable little dimple appeared in her chin. She had assumed her "hail fellow well met" air, and stood in an easy posture, holding out her hand full of silver offering it to the two men, as though saying, "Come, who'll take?" The count was the more active, he took the money; but one coin remained in the young woman's hand, and, to remove it, his fingers were obliged to come in contact with her skin a skin so warm and soft that touching it sent a thrill through his frame. Nana, greatly amused, continued laughing. "There, gentlemen," she resumed. "Next time I hope to give more." Having no pretext for remaining longer, they bowed and moved towards the door. But, as they were about to leave the room, the bell sounded again. The marquis could not repress a faint smile, whilst a shadow passed over the count's grave face. Nana detained them a few seconds, to allow Zoe time to find some out-of-the-way corner for the new comer. She did not like people to meet one another when calling on her. This time, the place must be quite full. She was agreeably surprised, however, to find the drawing-room empty. Had Zoe, then, put them into the cup- boards?" "Good-day, gentlemen," she said, as she stood in the open doorway. She enveloped them in her smile and her clear glance. Count Muffat bowed low, disconcerted in spite of his great experience of the world, longing for a breath of fresh air, dizzy from his con- tact with that room, and carrying away with him an odour of woman and flowers which nearly stifled him. And, behind him, the Marquis de Chouard, certain of not being observed, dared to wink at Nana, his face, for the moment, all distorted, and his tongue between his lips. When the young woman re-entered the dressing-room, where Zoe awaited her with some letters and visit- ing-cards, she laughed louder than ever, and exclaimed: "Well, there go a couple of sharks! They wheedled my fifty francs out of me!" But she was not annoyed; it amused her to think that men should ask her for money. All the same, they were a couple of pigs; she hadn't a sou left. The sight of the cards and the letters brought back her bad temper. The letters might be tolerated; they came from gentlemen who, after applauding her at the theatre, now hastened to make their declarations. As for the visitors, they might go to the devil! Zoe had put some everywhere; and she remarked that the suite of rooms was very convenient, for each one opened on to the passage. It was not the same at Madame Blanche's, where you always had to pass through the drawing- room; and Madame Blanche had had a great deal of unpleasant- ness on that account. "You must send them all to the right about," resumed Nana, following her original idea. "Begin with the blackamoor." "I sent him off a long time ago, madame," said Zoe with a smile. " He merely wished to tell madame that he couldn't come to-night." What great joy! Nana clapped her hands. He wasn't coming what luck! Then she would be free! She sighed with relief, as though she had been pardoned when about to endure the most abominable of punishments. Her first thought was for Daguenet that poor duck whom she had just put off till the Thursday! Quick, Madame Maloir must write another letter! But Zoe said that, as usual, Madame Maloir had gone off without letting any one know. Then Nana, after speaking of sending some one, began to hesitate. She was very tired. A whole night for sleep it would be so nice ! The idea of such a treat at length proved irresis- tible. She might, just for once, stand herself that. " I shall go to bed at once on returning from the theatre," she murmured, in a greedy sort of way, "and you must let me sleep till twelve o'clock." Then, raising her voice, she added, "Now, then, look alive! shove 'em all on to the staircase!" Zoe didn't stir. She would never permit herself openly to give advice to madame, only she arranged matters in such a way as to enable madame to profit by her vast experience, when she saw that madame was about to do something foolish. "M. Steiner also?" she briefly asked. "Certainly," replied Nana. "He before the others." The maid still waited, to give madame time to reflect. Wouldn't madame be proud to do her rival, Rose Mignon, out of such a rich gentleman one so well known in all the theatres? "Look sharp, my dear," resumed Nana, who understood per- fectly, "and tell him that he plagues me." But she suddenly altered her mind. On the morrow she might want him; so, winking her eye, she laughingly added, "After all, if I want to hook him, the best thing is chuck him out." Zoe seemed very much struck with the remark.