Muffat gazed at the carpet in order not to see any
more. At length Venus, with only her gauze veil over her shoulders, was
ready to go on the stage. Mme Jules, with vacant, unconcerned eyes and
an expression suggestive of a little elderly wooden doll, still kept
circling round her. With brisk movements she took pins out of the
inexhaustible pincushion over her heart and pinned up Venus' tunic, but
as she ran over all those plump nude charms with her shriveled hands,
nothing was suggested to her. She was as one whom her sex does not
concern.
"There!" said the young woman, taking a final look at herself in the
mirror.
Bordenave was back again. He was anxious and said the third act had
begun.
"Very well! I'm coming," replied Nana. "Here's a pretty fuss! Why, it's
usually I that waits for the others."
The gentlemen left the dressing room, but they did not say good-by, for
the prince had expressed a desire to assist behind the scenes at the
performance of the third act. Left alone, Nana seemed greatly surprised
and looked round her in all directions.
"Where can she be?" she queried.
She was searching for Satin. When she had found her again, waiting on
her trunk behind the curtain, Satin quietly replied:
"Certainly I didn't want to be in your way with all those men there!"
And she added further that she was going now.
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