The company shouted and applauded at this and gave vent to some stiffish epigrammatic witticisms.

Fontan counterfeited despair and assumed the quaint expression of Vulcan crying for Venus.
Straightway Prulliere became very gallant, but Nana, whose foot he was groping for under the table, caught him a slap to make him keep quiet.
No, no, she was certainly not going to become his mistress.

A month ago she had begun to take a fancy to him because of his good looks, but now she detested him.

If he pinched her again under pretense of picking up her napkin, she would throw her glass in his face! Nevertheless, the evening passed off well.

The company had naturally begun talking about the Varietes.