She would very much have liked it, both for the little one's sake and for her own, but perhaps one would arrive all the same.

Fontan, in his role of honest citizen, took Louiset in his arms and began playing with him and lisping.
"Never mind! It loves its daddy! Call me 'Papa,' you little blackguard!" "Papa, Papa!" stammered the child.
The company overwhelmed him with caresses, but Bosc was bored and talked of sitting down to table.

That was the only serious business in life.
Nana asked her guests' permission to put Louiset's chair next her own.
The dinner was very merry, but Bosc suffered from the near neighborhood of the child, from whom he had to defend his plate.

Mme Lerat bored him too.

She was in a melting mood and kept whispering to him all sorts of mysterious things about gentlemen of the first fashion who were still running after Nana.