When the young woman re-entered the little room, where Zoe was awaiting her with letters and visiting cards, she cried out, laughing more heartily than ever: 

“There are a pair of beggars for you!  Why, they’ve got away with my fifty francs!”

She wasn’t vexed.  It struck her as a joke that men should have got money out of her.  All the same, they were swine, for she hadn’t a sou left.  But at sight of the cards and the letters her bad temper returned.  As to the letters, why, she said “pass” to them.  They were from fellows who, after applauding her last night, were now making their declarations.  And as to the callers, they might go about their business!

Zoe had stowed them all over the place, and she called attention to the great capabilities of the flat, every room in which opened on the corridor.  That wasn’t the case at Mme Blanche’s, where people had all to go through the drawing room.  Oh yes, Mme Blanche had had plenty of bothers over it!

“You will send them all away,” continued Nana in pursuance of her idea.  “Begin with the nigger.”

“Oh, as to him, madame, I gave him his marching orders a while ago,” said Zoe with a grin.  “He only wanted to tell Madame that he couldn’t come to-night.”

There was vast joy at this announcement, and Nana clapped her hands.  He wasn’t coming, what good luck!  She would be free then!  And she emitted sighs of relief, as though she had been let off the most abominable of tortures.  Her first thought was for Daguenet.  Poor duck, why, she had just written to tell him to wait till Thursday!  Quick, quick, Mme Maloir should write a second letter!  But Zoe announced that Mme Maloir had slipped away unnoticed, according to her wont.  Whereupon Nana, after talking of sending someone to him, began to hesitate.  She was very tired.  A long night’s sleep—­oh, it would be so jolly!  The thought of such a treat overcame her at last.  For once in a way she could allow herself that!

“I shall go to bed when I come back from the theater,” she murmured greedily, “and you won’t wake me before noon.”

Then raising her voice: 

“Now then, gee up!  Shove the others downstairs!”

Zoe did not move.  She would never have dreamed of giving her mistress overt advice, only now she made shift to give Madame the benefit of her experience when Madame seemed to be running her hot head against a wall.

“Monsieur Steiner as well?” she queried curtly.

“Why, certainly!” replied Nana.  “Before all the rest.”

The maid still waited, in order to give her mistress time for reflection.  Would not Madame be proud to get such a rich gentleman away from her rival Rose Mignon—­a man, moreover, who was known in all the theaters?

“Now make haste, my dear,” rejoined Nana, who perfectly understood the situation, “and tell him he pesters me.”

But suddenly there was a reversion of feeling.  Tomorrow she might want him.  Whereupon she laughed, winked once or twice and with a naughty little gesture cried out: