The count had seated himself with all the ceremonious politeness becoming a country caller.  Only his hands were trembling slightly.  Lust, which Nana’s skillful tactics daily exasperated, had at last wrought terrible havoc in that sanguine, uncontaminated nature.  The grave man, the chamberlain who was wont to tread the state apartments at the Tuileries with slow and dignified step, was now nightly driven to plunge his teeth into his bolster, while with sobs of exasperation he pictured to himself a sensual shape which never changed.  But this time he was determined to make an end of the torture.  Coming along the highroad in the deep quiet of the gloaming, he had meditated a fierce course of action.  And the moment he had finished his opening remarks he tried to take hold of Nana with both hands.

“No, no!  Take care!” she said simply.  She was not vexed; nay, she even smiled.

He caught her again, clenching his teeth as he did so.  Then as she struggled to get free he coarsely and crudely reminded her that he had come to stay the night.  Though much embarrassed at this, Nana did not cease to smile.  She took his hands and spoke very familiarly in order to soften her refusal.

“Come now, darling, do be quiet!  Honor bright, I can’t:  Steiner’s upstairs.”

But he was beside himself.  Never yet had she seen a man in such a state.  She grew frightened and put her hand over his mouth in order to stifle his cries.  Then in lowered tones she besought him to be quiet and to let her alone.  Steiner was coming downstairs.  Things were getting stupid, to be sure!  When Steiner entered the room he heard Nana remarking: 

“I adore the country.”

She was lounging comfortably back in her deep easy chair, and she turned round and interrupted herself.

“It’s Monsieur le Comte Muffat, darling.  He saw a light here while he was strolling past, and he came in to bid us welcome.”

The two men clasped hands.  Muffat, with his face in shadow, stood silent for a moment or two.  Steiner seemed sulky.  Then they chatted about Paris:  business there was at a standstill; abominable things had been happening on ’change.  When a quarter of an hour had elapsed Muffat took his departure, and, as the young woman was seeing him to the door, he tried without success to make an assignation for the following night.  Steiner went up to bed almost directly afterward, grumbling, as he did so, at the everlasting little ailments that seemed to afflict the genus courtesan.  The two old boys had been packed off at last!  When she was able to rejoin him Nana found Georges still hiding exemplarily behind the curtain.  The room was dark.  He pulled her down onto the floor as she sat near him, and together they began playfully rolling on the ground, stopping now and again and smothering their laughter with kisses whenever they struck their bare feet against some piece of furniture.  Far away, on the road to Gumieres, Count Muffat walked slowly home and, hat in hand, bathed his burning forehead in the freshness and silence of the night.