Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 2 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/180

THE AMERICAN Claire for right you may fold your arms and let yourself float with the current; you're safe. You'll only never imagine a person so true and so straight. She's so honest and so gentille. I've never seen a woman half so charming. She has every blessed thing a man wants and more; that's all I can say about her. There!" Valentin concluded: "I told you how much I should bore you."

Newman uttered no assurance that he was not bored; he only said after a little: "She's remarkably good, eh?"

"She 'd have invented goodness if it did n't exist."

"It seems to me," Newman remarked, "that you 'd have invented her—! But it's all right," he added—"I 'd have invented you! Is she clever?" he then asked.

"Try her with something you think so yourself. Then you'll see."

"Oh, how can I try her?" sighed Newman with a lapse. But he picked himself up. "Is she fond of admiration?"

"Pardieu! cried Valentin. "She 'd be no sister of mine if she were n't. What woman's not?"

"Well, when they're too fond of it," Newman heard himself hypocritically temporise, "they commit all kinds of follies to get it."

"I did n't say she was 'too' fond! Valentin exclaimed. "Heaven forbid I should say anything so idiotic. She's not too anything. If I were to say she's ugly I should n't mean she's too ugly. She's fond of pleasing, and if you're pleased she leaves it so. If you're not pleased she lets it pass, and thinks the 150