When Venus roams at eventide.

Satin had gone back in front of the Cafe des Varietes, where Auguste let
her eat the sugar that remained over from the customers' orders. A stout
man, who came out in a very heated condition, finally carried her off in
the shadow of the boulevard, which was now gradually going to sleep.

Still people kept coming downstairs. La Faloise was waiting for
Clarisse; Fauchery had promised to catch up Lucy Stewart with Caroline
Hequet and her mother. They came; they took up a whole corner of the
entrance hall and were laughing very loudly when the Muffats passed by
them with an icy expression. Bordenave had just then opened a little
door and, peeping out, had obtained from Fauchery the formal promise
of an article. He was dripping with perspiration, his face blazed, as
though he were drunk with success.

"You're good for two hundred nights," La Faloise said to him with
civility. "The whole of Paris will visit your theater."

But Bordenave grew annoyed and, indicating with a jerk of his chin the
public who filled the entrance hall--a herd of men with parched lips
and ardent eyes, still burning with the enjoyment of Nana--he cried out
violently:

"Say 'my brothel,' you obstinate devil!"



CHAPTER II