"What's the matter?" said Nana in surprise.
"Oh, darling, do speak to her!" said Satin. "I've been trying to make
her listen to reason for the last twenty minutes. She's crying because
you called her a goose."
"Yes, madame, it's very hard--very hard," stuttered Zoe, choked by a
fresh fit of sobbing.
This sad sight melted the young woman's heart at once. She spoke kindly,
and when the other woman still refused to grow calm she sank down
in front of her and took her round the waist with truly cordial
familiarity:
"But, you silly, I said 'goose' just as I might have said anything else.
How shall I explain? I was in a passion--it was wrong of me; now calm
down."
"I who love Madame so," stuttered Zoe; "after all I've done for Madame."
Thereupon Nana kissed the lady's maid and, wishing to show her she
wasn't vexed, gave her a dress she had worn three times. Their quarrels
always ended up in the giving of presents! Zoe plugged her handkerchief
into her eyes. She carried the dress off over her arm and added before
leaving that they were very sad in the kitchen and that Julien and
Francois had been unable to eat, so entirely had Madame's anger taken
away their appetites. Thereupon Madame sent them a louis as a pledge
of reconciliation.
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