She demanded money savagely; she rowed him over wretched little amounts; she was odiously stingy with every minute of her time; she kept fiercely informing him that she slept with him for his money, not for any other reasons, and that she did not enjoy it a bit, that, in fact, she loved another and was awfully unfortunate in needing an idiot of his sort! They did not even want him at court now, and there was some talk of requiring him to send in his resignation.

The empress had said, "He is too disgusting." It was true enough.

So Nana repeated the phrase by way of closure to all their quarrels.
"Look here! You disgust me!" Nowadays she no longer minded her ps and qs; she had regained the most perfect freedom.
Every day she did her round of the lake, beginning acquaintanceships which ended elsewhere.

Here was the happy hunting ground par excellence, where courtesans of the first water spread their nets in open daylight and flaunted themselves amid the tolerating smiles and brilliant luxury of Paris.

Duchesses pointed her out to one another with a passing look--rich shopkeepers' wives copied the fashion of her hats.