You certainly owe it me, eh?"
And he lingered, grumbling, beside her, though glad to see her again;
for, he said, that confounded Nana was balm to his feelings. Yes, it was
balm to them merely to exist in her presence! She was his daughter; she
was blood of his blood!
The circle increased, for now La Faloise was filling glasses, and
Georges and Philippe were picking up friends. A stealthy impulse was
gradually bringing in the whole field. Nana would fling everyone a
laughing smile or an amusing phrase. The groups of tipplers were drawing
near, and all the champagne scattered over the place was moving in her
direction. Soon there was only one noisy crowd, and that was round her
landau, where she queened it among outstretched glasses, her yellow hair
floating on the breeze and her snowy face bathed in the sunshine. Then
by way of a finishing touch and to make the other women, who were mad at
her triumph, simply perish of envy, she lifted a brimming glass on high
and assumed her old pose as Venus Victrix.
But somebody touched her shoulder, and she was surprised, on turning
round, to see Mignon on the seat. She vanished from view an instant and
sat herself down beside him, for he had come to communicate a matter of
importance.
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