By his side was the young truant schoolboy, who had not quitted his seat, so stupefying was the state of admiration into which Nana had plunged him.

That was it, he thought; that was the woman! And he blushed as he thought so and dragged his gloves on and off mechanically.

Then since his neighbor had spoken of Nana, he ventured to question him.
"Will you pardon me for asking you, sir, but that lady who is acting--do you know her ?" "Yes, I do a little," murmured Daguenet with some surprise and hesitation.
"Then you know her address ?" The question, addressed as it was to him, came so abruptly that he felt inclined to respond with a box on the ear.
"No," he said in a dry tone of voice.
And with that he turned his back.

The fair lad knew that he had just been guilty of some breach of good manners.

He blushed more hotly than ever and looked scared.
The traditional three knocks were given, and among the returning throng, attendants, laden with pelisses and overcoats, bustled about at a great rate in order to put away people's things.