Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 2 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/154

THE AMERICAN your fortune." She rattled this off with the air of a woman who had the reputation of saying everything that came into her head, and with a strong French accent.

Newman had spoken with conscientious clearness, but Madame de Bellegarde's tone made him go on, after a meditative pause, with a certain light grimness of pleasantry. "No, I lost money on wash-tubs, but I came out pretty square on leather."

"I've made up my mind, after all," said the Marquise, "that the great point is—how do you call it?-to come out square. I'm on my knees to money and my worship is as public as you like. If you have it I ask no questions. For that I'm a real radical—like you, monsieur; at least as I suppose you. My belle-sœur is very proud; but I find that one gets much more pleasure in this sad life if one does n't make too many difficulties."

"Goodness gracious, chère madame, how you rush in!" Count Valentin gaily groaned.

"He's a man one can speak to, I suppose, since my sister receives him," the lady more covertly answered. "Besides, it's very true; those are my ideas."

"Ah, you call them ideas?" the young man returned in a tone that Newman thought lovely.

"But Mrs. Tristram told me you had been in the army—in your great war," his beautiful sister pursued.

"Yes, but that was not business in the paying sense, I could n't afford it often."

"Very true!" said Count Valentin, who looked at our hero from head to foot with his peculiar 124