It was his plain duty, she remarked severely, growing suddenly solicitous for the decencies of family life.

She even made him swear not to return for the night; she was tired, and in showing proper obedience he was doing no more than his duty.

Much bored by this moral discourse, Georges appeared in his mother's presence with heavy heart and downcast head.
Fortunately for him his brother Philippe, a great merry devil of a military man, had arrived during the day, a fact which greatly curtailed the scene he was dreading.

Mme Hugon was content to look at him with eyes full of tears while Philippe, who had been put in possession of the facts, threatened to go and drag him home by the scruff of the neck if ever he went back into that woman's society.

Somewhat comforted, Georges began slyly planning how to make his escape toward two o'clock next day in order to arrange about future meetings with Nana.
Nevertheless, at dinnertime the house party at Les Fondettes seemed not a little embarrassed.