The Author of Beltraffio

nd through a spacious vestibule above, where the walls seemed all composed of small door panels, touched with long-faded gilding; whence he was usher

ion as he reflected that she might come in with the knowledge of his supreme admiration and of the project he had built upon it in her eyes; but the feeling was not disagreeable. Her face could wear no look that would make it less beautiful, and he was sure be

exquisite touch in a pianist. It was, in fact, Madame de Cintré's "authority," as they say of artists, that especially impressed and fascinated Newman; he always came back to the feeling that when he should complete himself by taking a wife, that was the way he should like his wife to interpret him to the world. The only trouble, indeed, was that when the instrument was so perfect it seemed to interpose too much between you and the genius that used it. Madame de Cintré gave Newman the sense of an elaborate education, of her having passed through mysterious ceremonies and processes of culture in her youth, of her having been fashioned and made flexible to certain exalted social needs. All this,

ne," he said. "You know I have

" said Madame de Cintré. "You have sat and watched my visitors

as been that they only helped me to admire you." This was not gallantry on Newman's part-an art in which he was quite unversed. It was s

expected so fervid a compliment. "Oh, in that case," she said with a laugh, "you

e something particular to say to

aw him an

that he had see

said

l you what we h

e had grown a little pale, as if she regarded what was coming as necess

message-I asked him to

ot?" And she accompanied this question with a l

ly amounts to," said Newma

hat it was by your special request, of course

rother would not have spoken well of me unless he be

é. "Are you trying to please me by praisi

l day, if that will help me. He is a noble little fellow. He has made me f

," said Madame de Cintré. "H

; I only want a chance to. In consenting to see me, after w

Cintré, slowly and gravely, "becau

at is my misfortune! I could have said it the first time I saw you. Really, I had seen you before; I had seen you in imagination; you seemed almost an old friend. So what I say is not mere gallantry and compliments and nonsense-I can't talk that way, I don't know how, and I wouldn't, to you, if I could. It's as serious as such words can be. I feel as if I knew you and knew what a beautiful, admirable woman you are. I shall know better, perhaps, some day, but I have a general notion now. You are just the woman I have been looking for, except that you are far more perfect. I won't make any protestations and vows, but you can trust me. It is very soon, I know, to say all this; it is almost offensive. But why not gain time if one can? And if you want time to reflect-of course you do-the sooner you begin, the better for me. I don't know what you think of me; but there is no great mystery about me; you see what I am. Your brother told me that my antecedents and occupations were against me; that your family stands, somehow, on a higher level than I do. That is an idea which of course I don't understand and don't accept. But you don't care anything about that. I can assure you that I am a very solid fellow, and that if I

ooking down and straight before her. Then she slowly rose to her feet, and a pair of exceptionally keen eyes would have perceived that she was trembling a little in the movement. She still looked extremely serious. "I am very much obliged

o much made to be happy and to make others happy. If you are afraid of losing your freedom, I can assure you that this freedom here, this life you now lead, is a dreary bondage to what I will offer you. You shall do things that I don't

very mild and interrogative, gradually became as soft and as tenderly argumentative as if he had been talking to a much-loved child. He stood watching h

ppy. Your offer seems strange to me, for more reasons also than I can say. Of course you have a perfect right to make it. But I canno

hout its really being so. I didn't expect you to be pleased at first, but I

Madame de Cintré. "Thin

not to say no, and to let me hope. I will wait as long as you desire. Meanwhile you can see more

r return," she said, "I listen to you, I seem to give you hope. I have listened to you-against my judgment. It is because you are eloquent. If I had been told this morning that I should consent to consider you as a possible husban

a human creature. I firmly believe that in marrying me you will be safe. As I said just now," he went on with a smile, "I have no bad ways. I can do so much for you. And

n a porcelain tub before her window. She plucked off one of the flowers and, twisting it in her fingers, retrac

cause your family exert a pressure upon you, interfere with you, annoy you? That is still another reason; you ought to be perfectly free, and marriage will make you so. I don't say anything against your family-understand that!" added Newman, with

lexed whether to attribute to habit or to intention, to art or to nature. She had the air of a woman who has stepped across the frontier of friendship and, looking around her, finds the region vast. A certain checked and controlled exaltation seemed mingl

how l

. It must be a

ell, I

" she said, and

g to say something more. But he only lo

garde. After they had exchanged greetings, Newman told h

oments, both men were silent. Newman wished to ask Bellegarde what visible impression hi

s, but what the deuce di

" said Newman, "that I mad

money!' Is that what you say in America? And Madame d

ot accept

t, you know,

ee her again,

n off at arms'-length. "I look at you with respect!" he exclaimed. "You have achieved

ou please!"