On the days when, out of
anger, she forgot her own interest, she swore to play him such a dirty
trick that he would never again be able to set foot in her place. But
when she slapped her leg and yelled at him she might quite as well have
spat in his face too: he would still have stayed and even thanked
her. Then the rows about money matters kept continually recurring. She
demanded money savagely; she rowed him over wretched little amounts;
she was odiously stingy with every minute of her time; she kept fiercely
informing him that she slept with him for his money, not for any other
reasons, and that she did not enjoy it a bit, that, in fact, she loved
another and was awfully unfortunate in needing an idiot of his sort!
They did not even want him at court now, and there was some talk of
requiring him to send in his resignation. The empress had said, "He is
too disgusting." It was true enough. So Nana repeated the phrase by way
of closure to all their quarrels.
"Look here! You disgust me!"
Nowadays she no longer minded her ps and qs; she had regained the most
perfect freedom.
Every day she did her round of the lake, beginning acquaintanceships
which ended elsewhere. Here was the happy hunting ground par excellence,
where courtesans of the first water spread their nets in open daylight
and flaunted themselves amid the tolerating smiles and brilliant luxury
of Paris.
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