Here the waltz tune was sounding
the knell of an old race amid the suddenly ignited ruins of accumulated
wealth, while Nana, although unseen, stretched her lithe limbs above the
dancers' heads and sent corruption through their caste, drenching the
hot air with the ferment of her exhalations and the vagabond lilt of the
music.
On the evening after the celebration of the church marriage Count Muffat
made his appearance in his wife's bedroom, where he had not entered for
the last two years. At first, in her great surprise, the countess drew
back from him. But she was still smiling the intoxicated smile which she
now always wore. He began stammering in extreme embarrassment; whereupon
she gave him a short moral lecture. However, neither of them risked a
decisive explanation. It was religion, they pretended, which required
this process of mutual forgiveness, and they agreed by a tacit
understanding to retain their freedom. Before going to bed, seeing
that the countess still appeared to hesitate, they had a business
conversation, and the count was the first to speak of selling the
Bordes. She consented at once. They both stood in great want of money,
and they would share and share alike. This completed the reconciliation,
and Muffat, remorseful though he was, felt veritably relieved.
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