She began
struggling to get free, for she was frightened, and in smothered tones
she stammered:
"Do leave off! He's there! Oh, it's silly of you! And you, Zoe, are you
out of your senses? Take him away and keep him downstairs; I'll try and
come down."
Zoe had to push him in front of her. When Nana was able to rejoin them
in the drawing room downstairs she scolded them both, and Zoe pursed up
her lips and took her departure with a vexed expression, remarking that
she had only been anxious to give Madame a pleasure. Georges was so glad
to see Nana again and gazed at her with such delight that his fine eyes
began filling with tears. The miserable days were over now; his mother
believed him to have grown reasonable and had allowed him to leave Les
Fondettes. Accordingly, the moment he had reached the terminus, he had
got a conveyance in order the more quickly to come and kiss his sweet
darling. He spoke of living at her side in future, as he used to do down
in the country when he waited for her, barefooted, in the bedroom at
La Mignotte. And as he told her about himself, he let his fingers creep
forward, for he longed to touch her after that cruel year of separation.
Then he got possession of her hands, felt about the wide sleeves of her
dressing jacket, traveled up as far as her shoulders.
Pages:
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514