and gasping, thereupon held her breath. When he was
in bed she choked with emotion and threw herself upon his breast with a
wild burst of sobs. Their scuffles always ended thus, for she trembled
at the thought of losing him and, like a coward, wanted always to feel
that he belonged entirely to her, despite everything. Twice he pushed
her magnificently away, but the warm embrace of this woman who was
begging for mercy with great, tearful eyes, as some faithful brute might
do, finally aroused desire. And he became royally condescending without,
however, lowering his dignity before any of her advances. In fact,
he let himself be caressed and taken by force, as became a man whose
forgiveness is worth the trouble of winning. Then he was seized with
anxiety, fearing that Nana was playing a part with a view to regaining
possession of the treasury key. The light had been extinguished when he
felt it necessary to reaffirm his will and pleasure.

"You must know, my girl, that this is really very serious and that I
keep the money."

Nana, who was falling asleep with her arms round his neck, uttered a
sublime sentiment.

"Yes, you need fear nothing! I'll work for both of us!"

But from that evening onward their life in common became more and more
difficult. From one week's end to the other the noise of slaps filled
the air and resembled the ticking of a clock by which they regulated
their existence. Through dint of being much beaten Nana became as
pliable as fine linen; her skin grew delicate and pink and white and
so soft to the touch and clear to the view that she may be said to have
grown more good looking than ever. Prulliere, moreover, began running
after her like a madman, coming in when Fontan was away and pushing her
into corners in order to snatch an embrace. But she used to struggle out
of his grasp, full of indignation and blushing with shame. It disgusted
her to think of him wanting to deceive a friend. Prulliere would
thereupon begin sneering with a wrathful expression. Why, she was
growing jolly stupid nowadays! How could she take up with such an ape?
For, indeed, Fontan was a regular ape with that great swingeing nose of
his. Oh, he had an ugly mug! Besides, the man knocked her about too!

"It's possible I like him as he is," she one day made answer in the
quiet voice peculiar to a woman who confesses to an abominable taste.

Bosc contented himself by dining with them as often as possible. He
shrugged his shoul