Page:The Wheel of Time, Collaboration, Owen Wingrave (New York, Harper & Brothers, 1893).djvu/128

120 "She had you there," I rejoined.

"Yes, I could only reply, 'Chère madame, voyons!

"That was meagre."

"Evidently, for it did no more for me than to give her a chance to declare that he can't possibly be here for any good, and that he belongs to a race it's my sacred duty to loathe."

"I see what she means."

"I don't, then—where artists are concerned. I said to her, 'Ah, madame, vous savez que pour moi il n'y a que l'art!

"It's very exciting!" I laughed. "How could she parry that?"

I know it, my dear child—but for him?' That's the way she parried it. 'Very well, for him?' I asked. 'For him there's the insolence of the victor and a secret scorn for our incurable illusions!

"Heidenmauer has no insolence and no secret scorn."

Vendemer was silent a moment. "Are you very sure of that?"

"Oh, I like him! He's out of all that,