"It's an understood thing, eh? We are to go to her house, and I'm to
introduce you. You know the thing's quite between ourselves--my wife
needn't know."

Once more in their places, Fauchery and La Faloise noticed a pretty,
quietly dressed woman in the second tier of boxes. She was with a
serious-looking gentleman, a chief clerk at the office of the Ministry
of the Interior, whom La Faloise knew, having met him at the Muffats'.
As to Fauchery, he was under the impression that her name was Madame
Robert, a lady of honorable repute who had a lover, only one, and that
always a person of respectability.

But they had to turn round, for Daguenet was smiling at them. Now that
Nana had had a success he no longer hid himself: indeed, he had just
been scoring triumphs in the passages. By his side was the young truant
schoolboy, who had not quitted his seat, so stupefying was the state
of admiration into which Nana had plunged him. That was it, he thought;
that was the woman! And he blushed as he thought so and dragged his
gloves on and off mechanically. Then since his neighbor had spoken of
Nana, he ventured to question him.

"Will you pardon me for asking you, sir, but that lady who is acting--do
you know her?"

"Yes, I do a little," murmured Daguenet with some surprise and
hesitation.

"Then you know her address?"

The question, addressed as it was to him, came so abruptly that he felt