Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 2 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/115

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he had told Mrs. Tristram the story of his fruitless visit to Madame de Cintré she urged him not to be discouraged, but to carry out his plan of "seeing Europe" during the summer—after which he might return to Paris for the autumn and then settle down comfortably for the winter. "Claire de Cintré will be kept in a cool place for you," she reasoned; "she's not a woman who'll change her condition from one day to another." Newman made no distinct affirmation that he would come back to Paris; he even talked about Rome and the Nile, and abstained from professing any especial interest in Madame de Cintré's continued widowhood. This was a little of a false note in his usual distinctness, and may perhaps be regarded as characteristic of the incipient stage of that passion which is more particularly known as the romantic one. The truth is that the expression of a pair of eyes, that were both intense and mild, had become very familiar to his memory, and he would not easily have resigned himself to the prospect of never looking into them again. He communicated to Mrs. Tristram a number of other facts, of greater or less importance, as you choose; but on this particular point he kept his own counsel. He took a kindly leave of M. Nioche, having assured him that so far as he was concerned the blue-cloaked Madonna herself might have been present at his 85