"
"Look, here she is!" continued Satin, pointing to a photograph which
stood in front of the clock. Nana scrutinized the portrait for a second
or so. It represented a very dark brunette with a longish face and lips
pursed up in a discreet smile. "A thoroughly fashionable lady," one
might have said of the likeness, "but one who is rather more reserved
than the rest."
"It's strange," murmured Nana at length, "but I've certainly seen that
face somewhere. Where, I don't remember. But it can't have been in a
pretty place--oh no, I'm sure it wasn't in a pretty place."
And turning toward her friend, she added, "So she's made you promise to
come and see her? What does she want with you?"
"What does she want with me? 'Gad! To talk, I expect--to be with me a
bit. It's her politeness."
Nana looked steadily at Satin. "Tut, tut," she said softly. After all,
it didn't matter to her! Yet seeing that the lady was keeping them
waiting, she declared that she would not stay longer, and accordingly
they both took their departure.
The next day Fontan informed Nana that he was not coming home to dinner,
and she went down early to find Satin with a view to treating her at a
restaurant. The choice of the restaurant involved infinite debate.
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