Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 2 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/255

THE AMERICAN when it suits her, she goes straight to the point—au pas de charge! Did n't she rather do you the honour to say: 'A fiddlestick for your fine phrases! There are better reasons than that'?"

"Other reasons were discussed," said the Marquis without looking at Valentin, but with a slightly more nasal pitch; "some of them possibly were better. We're highly conservative, Mr. Newman, but we have never, I trust, been stupidly narrow. We're judging this so interesting question on its merits only. We've no doubt we shall be fully justified. We've no doubt everything will be comfortable."

Newman had stood listening to these remarks with his arms folded and his eyes fastened on the speaker. "Justified?" he echoed with his way of putting rather less than more sense into words he repeated. "Why shouldn't we be? I assure you I've no fear for myself. Why should n't we be comfortable? If you're not it will be your own fault. I've everything to make me so."

"My brother means that with the lapse of time you may get used to the difference." And Valentin paused to light another cigarette.

"What difference?" Newman unimaginatively asked.

"Urbain," said Valentin very gravely, "I'm afraid that Mr. Newman does n't quite realise the difference. We ought to insist on that."

"My brother goes too far," M. de Bellegarde observed to Newman. "He has no nice sense of what should n't be said. It's my mother's wish and mine that no comparisons should be made. Pray 225