"
Steiner and Mignon had come in behind Rose. The banker turned back
and reappeared with the fan while Mignon embraced Nana fraternally and
forced Rose to do so also. Did they not all belong to the same family in
the theatrical world? Then he winked as though to encourage Steiner, but
the latter was disconcerted by Rose's clear gaze and contented himself
by kissing Nana's hand.
Just then the Count de Vandeuvres made his appearance with Blanche de
Sivry. There was an interchange of profound bows, and Nana with the
utmost ceremony conducted Blanche to an armchair. Meanwhile Vandeuvres
told them laughingly that Fauchery was engaged in a dispute at the foot
of the stairs because the porter had refused to allow Lucy Stewart's
carriage to come in at the gate. They could hear Lucy telling the porter
he was a dirty blackguard in the anteroom. But when the footman had
opened the door she came forward with her laughing grace of manner,
announced her name herself, took both Nana's hands in hers and told her
that she had liked her from the very first and considered her talent
splendid. Nana, puffed up by her novel role of hostess, thanked her
and was veritably confused. Nevertheless, from the moment of Fauchery's
arrival she appeared preoccupied, and directly she could get near him
she asked him in a low voice:
"Will he come?"
"No, he did not want to," was the journalist's abrupt reply, for he was
taken by surprise, though he had got ready some sort of tale to explain
Count Muffat's refusal.
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