A month later the first night of the Petite Duchesse proved supremely
disastrous to Nana. She was atrociously bad and displayed such
pretentions toward high comedy that the public grew mirthful. They
did not hiss--they were too amused. From a stage box Rose Mignon kept
greeting her rival's successive entrances with a shrill laugh, which set
the whole house off. It was the beginning of her revenge. Accordingly,
when at night Nana, greatly chagrined, found herself alone with Muffat,
she said furiously:
"What a conspiracy, eh? It's all owing to jealousy. Oh, if they only
knew how I despise 'em! What do I want them for nowadays? Look here!
I'll bet a hundred louis that I'll bring all those who made fun today
and make 'em lick the ground at my feet! Yes, I'll fine-lady your Paris
for you, I will!"
CHAPTER X
Thereupon Nana became a smart woman, mistress of all that is foolish and
filthy in man, marquise in the ranks of her calling. It was a sudden but
decisive start, a plunge into the garish day of gallant notoriety and
mad expenditure and that daredevil wastefulness peculiar to beauty.
She at once became queen among the most expensive of her kind. Her
photographs were displayed in shopwindows, and she was mentioned in the
papers.
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