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?‰mile, 1840-1902

"Four Short Stories By Emile Zola"

There's always a corner
there for me. But with you it's out of the question. She's getting
absurdly jealous; she beat me the other night."
When they had shut themselves in, Nana, who had not yet relieved her
feelings, burst into tears and again and again recounted Fontan's dirty
behavior. Satin listened complaisantly, comforted her, grew even more
angry than she in denunciation of the male sex.
"Oh, the pigs, the pigs! Look here, we'll have nothing more to do with
them!"
Then she helped Nana to undress with all the small, busy attentions,
becoming a humble little friend. She kept saying coaxingly:
"Let's go to bed as fast as we can, pet. We shall be better off there!
Oh, how silly you are to get crusty about things! I tell you, they're
dirty brutes. Don't think any more about 'em. I--I love you very much.
Don't cry, and oblige your own little darling girl."
And once in bed, she forthwith took Nana in her arms and soothed and
comforted her. She refused to hear Fontan's name mentioned again, and
each time it recurred to her friend's lips she stopped it with a kiss.
Her lips pouted in pretty indignation; her hair lay loose about her, and
her face glowed with tenderness and childlike beauty.


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