Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 2 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/345

THE AMERICAN see, stuck into my hair. But here comes Lord Deepmere," she added in a moment; "I must find out what he thinks of it." Lord Deepmere came up very red in the face and very light, apparently, at heart; at once very much amused and very little committed. "My Lord Deepmere can't decide which he prefers, my sister-in-law or me," Madame Urbain went on. "He likes Claire because she's his cousin, and me because I'm not. But he has no right to make love to Claire, whereas I'm perfectly disponible. It 's very wrong to make love to a woman who's engaged, but it's very wrong not to make love to a woman who's married."

"Oh, it 's very jolly making love to married women," the young man said, "because they can't ask you to marry them."

"Is that what the others do—the spinsters?" Newman enquired. "Oh dear, yes—in England all the girls ask a fellow to marry them."

"And a fellow brutally refuses," Madame Urbain commented.

"Why, really, you know, a fellow can't marry any girl that asks him," said his lordship.

"Your cousin won't ask you. She's going to marry Mr. Newman."

"Oh, that's a very different thing!" Lord Deepmere readily agreed.

"You 'd have accepted her, I suppose. That makes me hope that, after all, you prefer me."

"Oh, when things are nice I never prefer one to the other," said the young man. "I take them all." 315