Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 2 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/317

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ironic forecast of the secession of Mademoiselle Nioche from her father's domicile and his irreverent reflexion on the attitude of this anxious parent in so grave a catastrophe received a practical commentary in the fact that M. Nioche was slow to seek another interview with his late pupil. It had cost Newman some disgust to be forced to assent to his friend's expert analysis of the old man's philosophy, and, though circumstances seemed to indicate that he had not given himself up to a noble despair, our hero thought it possible he might be suffering more keenly than he allowed to become flagrant. M. Nioche had been in the habit of paying him a respectful little visit every two or three weeks, and his absence might be a proof quite as much of extreme depression as of a desire to conceal the success with which he had patched up his sorrow. Newman presently gathered in the bright garden of Valentin's talk several of the flowers of the young woman's recent history.

"I told you she was remarkable," this consistent reasoner declared, "and it's proved by the way she has managed this most important of all her steps. She has had other chances, but she was resolved to take none but the best. She did you the honour to think for a while that you might be such a chance. You were not; so she gathered up her patience and 287