Nana (Barnes & Noble Classics) - Emile Zola [31]
“Who is the father of your baby?” she asked, suddenly interrupting her sermon, her eyes lighted up with intense curiosity.
Nana, surprised, hesitated for a second. “A gentleman,” she replied.
“Ah!” resumed the aunt, “I was told it was a mason who used to beat you. Well, you can tell me all about it some other day; you know that I can be trusted! Be easy, I will take as great care of him as though he was the son of a prince.”
She had given up her artificial flower-making business and retired on her savings—six hundred francs a year—hoarded up sou by sou. Nana promised to take some nice rooms for her, besides which she would allow her one hundred francs a month. When she heard this the aunt quite forgot herself in her delight, and impressed upon her niece that she should squeeze them whilst she had the chance. She was alluding to the men. Then they kissed each other again. But Nana, in the midst of her joy, and just as she had once more begun to talk of little Louis, seemed to get sad at some sudden recollection.
“What a nuisance it is: I have to go out at three o’lock!” she murmured. “It’s an awful bore!”
At that moment Zoé came to say that the lunch was ready. They went into the dining-room, where they found an elderly lady already seated at the table. She had not taken her bonnet off, and was dressed in a dark gown of no precise colour, but something between puce and goose droppings. Nana did not seem surprised at seeing her there. She merely asked her why she had not gone into the bedroom.
“I heard voices,” answered the old lady. “I thought you were engaged.”
Madame Maloir, who had a respectable appearance and distinguished ways, acted as Nana’s old lady friend. She entertained her and accompanied her about. At first, Madame Lerat’s presence seemed to make her uneasy; but when she learnt that the stranger was only the aunt, she looked at her in quite a pleasant sort of a way, and smiled faintly. However, Nana, who said her stomach had gone right down into her heels, started on some radishes, which she devoured without any bread. Madame Lerat, becoming very ceremonious, declined the radishes, saying they produced wind. Then, when Zoé brought in some cutlets, Nana played with the meat, and ended by merely sucking the bone. Now and again she cast a glance in the direction of her old friend’s bonnet.
“Is that the new bonnet I gave you?” she eventually asked.
“Yes, I have altered it to suit me,” murmured Madame Maloir, with her mouth full.
The bonnet looked frightful with the big feather she had stuck in it. Madame Maloir had a mania for re-making up all her bonnets: she alone knew what suited her, and in a minute she would utterly spoil the most elegant article. Nana, who had bought her the bonnet so as not to feel ashamed every time she went out with her, began to get angry.
“Well! you might at least take it off!” she cried.
“No, thank you,” the old lady replied most politely, “It does not trouble me. I can eat very well with it on.”
After the cutlets came some cauliflower and the remains of a cold chicken. But Nana turned up her nose at each dish put upon the table, and left her food untouched on her plate. After smelling everything and hesitating what to take, she finished her lunch with some jam. The dessert lasted some time, and Zoé did not remove the cloth before serving the coffee; the ladies merely pushed away their plates. They talked of the great success achieved at the theatre the previous evening. Nana was making cigarettes, which she smoked as she leant back