But she controlled
herself and, looking like a marquise who is afraid of treading on an
orange peel, fluted in still more silvery tones.
"Eh, what?" said she. "You're mad, my dear!"
And with that she continued in her graceful affectation while Rose took
her departure, followed by Mignon, who now refused to recognize her.
Clarisse was enraptured, having just obtained the part of Geraldine from
Bordenave. Fauchery, on the other hand, was gloomy; he shifted from one
foot to the other; he could not decide whether to leave the theater or
no. His piece was bedeviled, and he was seeking how best to save it. But
Nana came up, took him by both hands and, drawing him toward her, asked
whether he thought her so very atrocious after all. She wasn't going
to eat his play--not she! Then she made him laugh and gave him to
understand that he would be foolish to be angry with her, in view of
his relationship to the Muffats. If, she said, her memory failed her she
would take her lines from the prompter. The house, too, would be packed
in such a way as to ensure applause. Besides, he was mistaken about her,
and he would soon see how she would rattle through her part. By and by
it was arranged that the author should make a few changes in the role of
the duchess so as to extend that of Prulliere.
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