The Author of Beltraffio

with the latter's estimate of what he called his social position. When Newman learned that his social position was to be taken into account, he professed himself utterl

nner? I know you and your wife and little old Mr. Nioche, who gave me French lessons last

id Mrs. Tristram, "who introduced you

rateness which frequently marked his utterance, and which an observer would not have known whether to pronounce a somewh

get all the wicked things and remember only the good ones. It will be easily done, and it will not fatigue your

arling?" cr

g wicked; otherwise I sho

or three languages; that's what it is to be intellectual. It gives her the start of me completely, for I can't swear, for the lif

wship somewhat to abate. Besides, he had no taste for upholstery; he had even no very exquisite sense of comfort or convenience. He had a relish for luxury and splendor, but it was satisfied by rather gross contrivances. He scarcely knew a hard chair from a soft one, and he possessed a talent for stretching his legs which quite dispensed with adventitious facilities. His idea of comfort was to inhabit very large rooms, have a great many of them, and be conscious of their possessing a number of patented mechanical devices-half of which he should never have occasion to use. The apartments should be light and brilliant and lofty; he had once said tha

that she had met her three days before, coming out of the Church of St. Sulpice; she herself having journ

those eyes?"

, if you please!" said Mrs. Trist

unt of her," said Newman, "that

sins; they we

you kn

ome and see her; I

does she s

ked old mother and her Grand Turk of a brother. They persecute her. But I can almost forgive them, because, as I t

ill never impart it to the old folks. Why does she

be the most abominable old woman in the world, and make your life a purgatory; but, after all, she is ma mère, and you have no r

ast make her bro

of the clan. With those people the family is everything; you must

ly would like me to do

had one!" sa

to get out of that po

ot rich, and they want to bri

hance, my boy!"

intré objects,"

sold again. It appears that the first time they made rat

o they want to

may be sure it is to some horrid old na

e has the history of Madame de Cintré's marriage at her fingers' ends. She has seen the lovely Claire on her knees, with loosened tresses and streaming eyes, and the rest of them standing over he

in each direction. "Do you really mean," he asked of Mrs. Tristr

le. Those people are very ca

at dark old house over there looks as if wicked th

try Madame de Cintré tells me, and there, durin

n; mind that!"

after a silence, "she may be in

it is something worse," said Mr

ossible," he asked at last, "that they do that sort of thing over

a hard time of it," said Mrs. Tristram.

ibed, or all three together, into marrying nasty fellows. There is no end of that always going on in the Fi

hat, in America, girls are ever subjected to compulsion. I don't be

e of the spread eag

wings," said Mrs. Tristram. "Fly

er re

your talons, and carry he

of marrying," he said. "The kindest way to treat her would be to admire her, and yet never to sp

. "She is cold, calm, and hopeless," Mrs. Tristram declared, and she added that on her mentioning that her friend Mr. Newman was again in Paris and was faithful in his desire to make Madame de Cintré's acquaintance, th

Newman, placidly. "I like

ancient iron balustrade, to an apartment on the second floor. Announced and ushered in, he found himself in a sort of paneled boudoir, at one end of which a lady and gentleman were seated before the fire. The gentleman was smoking a cigarette; there was no light in the room save that of a couple of candles and the glow from the hearth. Both persons rose to welcome Newman, who, in the f

t deal of you," said Madame de Cintré

e not so simple as others. He felt as one does in missing a step, in an ascent, where one expected to find it. This strange, pretty woman, sitting in fire-side talk with her brother, in the gray depths of her inhospitable-looking house-what had he to say to her? She seemed enveloped in a sort of fantastic privacy; on what grounds had he pulled away the curtain? For a moment he felt as if he had plunged into some medium as deep as the ocean, and as if he must exert himself to keep from sinking. Meanwhile he was looking at Madame de Cintré, and she was settling herself in her chair and drawing in her long dress and turning her face towards him. Their

distinctively British accent which, on his arrival in Europe, had struck Newman as an altogether foreign tongue, but which, in women, he had come to like extremely. Here and there Madame de Cintré's utterance had

country," said Madam

said Newman. "You

it," said Madame de

?" asked

vel; especia

sometimes; you ar

mer, a little way

"Don't you find it rather-rather quiet here?" he said; "so far from the street?" R

," said Madame de Cint

hat," repeated

ave lived her

r life," said Newma

e, and my grandfather, and my great-grandfathers. Were

s cigarette into the fire, and then remained leaning against the chimney-piece. An observer would have perceived

emendously old, t

brother?" asked

he familiar rococo style of the last century; but above it was a paneling of an earlier date, quaintly carved, painted white, and gilded here and there. The white had turned to yellow, and the gilding was tarnished. On the to

und considerably." And he threw back his head and looked about the r

hitecture?" asked the youn

"to examine-as well as I can calculate-some four hundr

erested in theology,

Roman Catholic, madam?" And h

she answer

ack his head and began to look round the room again. "Had

nt, and then, "In fo

an's movement. "Perhaps you would

m in his eye. "Damn his French impudence!" Newman was on the point of saying to himself. "What the deuce is he grinning at?" He glanced at Madame de Cintré; she was sitting with her eyes fixed on the floor. She raised them, they met his, and she looked at her brother. Ne

id his hand on one of the candlesticks.

nd grasped his arm, "Ah, Valentin!"

n the house. It wi

smile. "Don't let him take you," she said; "you will not

d the count, resisting. "Besides, I

d, brother," Madame

ng have!" cried the you

ds and smiling softly. "Would you not prefer my society, here,

Newman. "We will see t

ock solemnity, and, shaking his head, "Ah, yo

on't understan

it all the better. Perhaps some day

g for the tea," sa

und. She stared at Newman, gave a little nod and a "Monsieur!" and then quickly approached Madame de Cintré and presented her forehead to be kissed. Madame de Cintré saluted her, and continued to make tea. The new-comer was young and pretty, it seemed to Newman; she wore her bon

w," said the Count Valen

y pretty,"

ng man, and this time, again,

t arm's-length, so that she might not spill it on her dress, and uttering little cries of alarm. She placed

my dear lady?" the Count Valentin ask

eur," said his

n answered,

" said the lady. "So Claire receives strangers, like that?"

her favor. And yet, if she was beautiful, it was not a dazzling beauty. She was tall and moulded in long lines; she had thick fair hair, a wide forehead, and features with a sort of harmonious irregularity. Her clear gray eyes were strikingly expressive; they were both gentle and intelligent, and Newman liked them immensely; but they had not those depths of splendor-those many-colored rays-which illumine the brows of famous beauties. Madame de Cintré was rather thin, and she looked younger than probably she was. In her whole person there was something both youthful and subdued, slender and yet ample, tranquil yet shy; a mixture of immaturity and repose, of

go out?" asked Madame de Cintré, who h

do I dance, a

ans le monde

. Mrs. Tristram has taken me ab

ou are not fond

and that sort of thing; I am too old and sober. Bu

be amused in

s at work. But after all

t Valentin. Madame de Cintré, when she had served her, began to talk again with Newman, and r

e been in business since

Madame de Bellegarde, who was decide

wman. "At one time I sold leather; a

the smell of soap. I hope at least they made your fortune." She rattled this off with the air of a wom

de him go on, after a meditative pause, with a certain light grimness of jocula

. I am on my knees to money; I don't deny it. If you have it, I ask no questions. For that I am a real democrat-like you, monsi

you go at it," said the Coun

e my sister receives him," the lady answered.

em ideas," murmu

u had been in the army-in you

is not business

legarde. "Otherwise perhaps

a moment, "that you are so p

é smiled. "Do y

ou are proud with me, you will have to

augh. "That would be pride

n, "because I shouldn't want to kno

looked at him with her head half averted,

nt very much to know you. I didn't come here simply to call t

often," said Ma

Even to himself he seemed a trifle "pushin

" said Mada

all see," he said smoothing

de Cintré, "invite Mr

peculiar smile, in which impudence and urbanity seemed perplexing

ope so," s

t so. In that ca

mured Madame de Cintré, with

ve me great pleasure. I shall be desolate if I miss one of his visits. But I

u; I shall come to see Mada

ed all the m

aid Madame de Cin

nly person here capable of saying something polite!

ave. Madame de Cintré did not take up her sister's challenge to be grac