And Nana,
who was by way of being wide-minded, had accepted the philosophic view
that you never can tell where your tastes will lead you and had forgiven
her. Her curiosity was even excited, and she began questioning her about
obscure vices and was astounded to be adding to her information at her
time of life and with her knowledge. She burst out laughing and gave
vent to various expressions of surprise. It struck her as so queer,
and yet she was a little shocked by it, for she was really quite the
philistine outside the pale of her own habits. So she went back to
Laure's and fed there when Fontan was dining out. She derived much
amusement from the stories and the amours and the jealousies which
inflamed the female customers without hindering their appetites in the
slightest degree. Nevertheless, she still was not quite in it, as she
herself phrased it. The vast Laure, meltingly maternal as ever, used
often to invite her to pass a day or two at her Asnieries Villa, a
country house containing seven spare bedrooms. But she used to refuse;
she was afraid. Satin, however, swore she was mistaken about it, that
gentlemen from Paris swung you in swings and played tonneau with
you, and so she promised to come at some future time when it would be
possible for her to leave town.
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