But Nana grew excited again. The company might wait: she’d go to them all in good time when she’d finished. And as her aunt began putting her hand out for the money: “Ah no! Not all of it,” she said. “Three hundred francs for the nurse, fifty for your journey and expenses, that’s three hundred and fifty. Fifty francs I keep.” The big difficulty was how to find change. There were not ten francs in the house. But they did not even address themselves to Mme Maloir who, never having more than a six-sou omnibus fair upon her, was listening in quite a disinterested manner. At length Zoé went out of the room, remarking that she would go and look in her box, and she brought back a hundred francs in hundred-sou pieces. They were counted out on a corner of the table, and Mme Lerat took her departure at once after having promised to bring Louiset back with her the following day. “You say there’s company there?” continued Nana, still sitting on the chair and resting herself. “Yes, madame, three people.” And Zoé mentioned the banker first. Nana made a face. Did that man Steiner think she was going to let herself be bored because he had thrown her a bouquet yesterday evening? “Besides, I’ve had enough of it,” she declared. “I shan’t receive today. Go and say you don’t expect me now.” “Madame will think the matter over; Madame will receive Monsieur Steiner,” murmured Zoé gravely, without budging from her place. She was annoyed to see her mistress on the verge of committing another foolish mistake. Then she mentioned the Walachian, who ought by now to find time hanging heavy on his hands in the bedroom. Whereupon Nana grew furious and more obstinate than ever. No, she would see nobody, nobody! Who’d sent her such a blooming leech of a man? “Chuck ’em all out! I—I’m going to play a game of bezique with Madame Maloir. I prefer doing that.” The bell interrupted her remarks. That was the last straw. Another of the beggars yet! She forbade Zoé to go and open the door, but the latter had left the kitchen without listening to her, and when she reappeared she brought back a couple of cards and said authoritatively: “I told them that Madame was receiving visitors. The gentlemen are in the drawing room.” Nana had sprung up, raging, but the names of the Marquis de Chouard and of Count Muffat de Beuville, which were inscribed on the cards, calmed her down. For a moment or two she remained silent. “Who are they?” she asked at last. “You know them?” “I know the old fellow,” replied Zoé, discreetly pursing up her lips. And her mistress continuing to question her with her eyes, she added simply: “I’ve seen him somewhere.”