Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 2 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/402

THE AMERICAN. You know," she wound up in a moment, that you were forewarned as to our high, stiff way of carrying ourselves. Oh, I grant you that we're as proud and odious as you please! But we didn't seek your acquaintance. You sought ours."

Newman took up his hat and began mechanically to smooth it; the very fierceness of his scorn kept him from speaking. "You're certainly odious enough," he cried at last, "but it strikes me your pride falls short altogether."

"In the whole matter," said the Marquis, still as with a fine note of cool reason, "I really see nothing but our humility."

"Let us have no more painful discussion than is necessary," his mother resumed. "My daughter told you everything when she said she gives you up."

"I'm not in the least satisfied about your daughter," Newman insisted: "I want to know what you did to her. It's all very easy talking about authority and saying she likes your orders. She did n't accept me blindly and she would n't give me up blindly. Not that I believe yet she has really done it after what has passed between us; she'll talk it over with me. But you've frightened her, you've bullied her, you 've hurt her. What was it you did to her?"

"I had very little to do," said Madame de Bellegarde in a tone which gave him a chill when he afterwards remembered it.

"Let me remind you that we offered you this amount of consideration," the Marquis observed, "with the express understanding that you should abstain from intemperance." 372