'Do you hear，'Marguerite told her，'you are always to say to that oaf that I'm not in，or that I don't want to see him.I'm so tired of seeing people forever coming and asking for the same thing，paying me for it and thinking that they've wiped the slate clean.If girls who start in this shameful trade of ours only knew what it's like，they'd sooner be chamber-maids.But oh no！vanity，and the idea of having gowns，carriages，and diamonds lure us on；we believe what we hear，for prostitution has its own articles of faith，and little by little we use up our hearts，our bodies，our beauty.We are feared like wild beasts，scorned like outcasts，surrounded only by people who always take more than they give，and then，one fine day，we crawl away to die like dogs，having ruined the others and ruined ourselves.'
'There，Madame，calm yourself，'said Nanine，'your nerves are bad tonight.'
'This dress is too tight，'Marguerite went on，tearing open the fasteners of her bodice，'get me a robe.Well，what about Prudence？'
'She wasn't back，but they'll tell her to come the minute she gets home.'
'There's another one，'Marguerite went on，removing her dress and slipping into a white robe，'there's another one who knows exactly where to find me when she need me，and can't ever do me a good turn without wanting something.She knows I'm waiting for that answer tonight，that I must have it，that I'm worried，and I just know that she's gone gallivanting without a thought for me.'
'Perhaps she's been delayed.'
'Get them to bring us some punch.'
'You're going to make yourself ill again，'said Nanine.
'Good.And bring me some fruit，some pate or a chicken wing，something at once.I'm hungry.'
There is no need to say what impression this scene made on me，for I am sure you can guess.
'You are going to have supper with me，'she said.'Meantime，read a book.I'm going into my dressing-room for a moment.'
She lit the candles of a candelabra，opened a door facing the end of her bed，and disappeared.
Left to myself，I began to ponder the life this girl led，and my love was swelled by pity.
I was walking up and down in her bedroom，thinking，when Prudence came in.
'Hello，you here？'she said.'Where's Marguerite？'
'In her dressing-room.'
'I'll wait for her to come out.Well now，she thinks you're nice.Did you know？'
'No.'
'Hasn't she told you？Not even a little bit？'
'Not at all.'
'How do you come to be here？'
'I came to pay a call.'
'At midnight？'
'Why not？'
'That's a good one！'
'As a matter of fact，she didn't give me much of a welcome.'
'She'll make you feel more at home in a while.'
'You think so？'
'I've brought her good news.'
'That's all right then.So she's talked to you about me？'
'Yesterday evening-or rather last night，after you'd gone with your friend……By the way，how is your friend？It's Gaston R，I believe；isn't that what they call him？'
'Yes，'I said，unable to stop myself smiling as I remembered what Gaston had confided to me，and realized that Prudence hardly knew his name.
'He's a very nice boy.What does he do？'
'He has a private income of twenty-five thousand francs.'
'Oh！Really？Well anyhow，coming back to you，Marguerite asked me a lot of questions about you.She asked who you were，what you did，what mistresses you'd had，everything，really，that can be asked about a man of your age.I told her all I know，and said that you were a very nice boy，and that's about it.'
'I'm grateful.Now，tell me what was this errand she sent you on yesterday？'
'There wasn't one.What she said was intended to make the Count go away.But she did ask me to do something for her today，and I've brought her the answer tonight.'
Just then，Marguerite emerged from her dressing-room，daintily wearing a night-cap decorated with bunches of yellow ribbons，known in the trade as cabbage-bows.
She looked ravishing in it.
On her bare feet she was wearing satin slippers，and she was finishing her nails.
'Well？'she said，when she saw Prudence，'did you see the Duke？'
'Of course！'
'What did he say？'
'He came up with it.'
'How much？'
'Six thousand.'
'Have you got it？'
'Yes.'
'Did he seem cross？'
'No.'
'Poor man！'
The way she said'Poor man！'is impossible to render.Marguerite took the six one-thousand-franc notes.
'And not before time，'she said.'My dear Prudence，do you need any money？'
'As you know，my child，it'll be the fifteenth in two days，so if you could lend me three or four hundred francs，you'd be doing me a good turn.'
'Send round for it tomorrow morning，it's too late to get change now.'
'Don't forget.'
'No need to worry.Are you going to have supper with us？'
'No，Charles is waiting in my apartment.'
'So you're still mad about him？'
'Quite crazy，my dear！I'll see you tomorrow.Goodbye，Armand.'
Madame Duvernoy left.
Marguerite opened her china-cabinet and tossed the banknotes inside.
'You don't mind if I lie down？'she said，smiling and making for her bed.
'Not only do I not mind，I do wish you would.'
She threw the counterpane over the foot of the bed and climbed between the sheets.
'Now，'she said，'come and sit by me and we'll talk.'
Prudence was right：the answer she had brought Marguerite brightened her mood.
'Will you forgive me for being bad-tempered this evening？'she said，taking my hand.
'I am ready to forgive you much more.'
'And you love me？'
'To distraction.'
'In spite of my awful temper？'
'In spite of everything.'
'Do you swear it？'
'Yes，'I whispered to her.
Nanine came in then，carrying plates，a cold chicken，a bottle of bordeaux，strawberries and cutlery and glasses for two.
'I didn't get any punch made up，'Nanine said，'the bordeaux will do you better.Isn't that right，sir？'
'Quite right，'I answered，still deeply moved by Marguerite's last words，and with my eyes fixed ardently on her.
'Good，'she said，'put it all on the little table，and bring it nearer the bed；we'll serve ourselves.That's three nights you've been up，you'll be wanting some sleep.Go to bed：I shan't be needing anything else.'
'Should I double-lock the door？'
'Yes，you should！And，most important of all，say that no one is to be admitted before noon.'
