When he felt her thus--when he once more divined the presence
of her velvety limbs beneath the thin fabric of her dress--he was
suddenly convulsed and trembled, as it were, with fever, while madly,
savagely, he pressed his face against her knees as though he had been
anxious to force through her flesh. The old chair creaked, and beneath
the low ceiling, where the air was pungent with stale perfumes,
smothered sobs of desire were audible.
"Well, and after?" Nana began saying, letting him do as he would. "All
this doesn't help you a bit, seeing that the thing's impossible. Good
God, what a child you are!"
His energy subsided, but he still stayed on the floor, nor did he relax
his hold of her as he said in a broken voice:
"Do at least listen to what I came to offer you. I've already seen
a town house close to the Parc Monceau--I would gladly realize your
smallest wish. In order to have you all to myself, I would give my whole
fortune. Yes, that would be my only condition, that I should have you
all to myself! Do you understand? And if you were to consent to be mine
only, oh, then I should want you to be the loveliest, the richest, woman
on earth. I should give you carriages and diamonds and dresses!"
At each successive offer Nana shook her head proudly.
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