Nana (Barnes & Noble Classics) - Emile Zola [34]
“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 bouquet,” she observed.
They all three drank, after nodding to each other. The bell rang again twice, as Zoé, 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. Zoé was surprised—could not understand at all how madame could remain out so long. Generally, when madame found herself obliged to go out in the afternoon, 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 Zoé 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? Zoé 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 comfortable 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. Zoé, 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 Zoé, 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’ staircase. 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