CHAPTER XXIV.

ONEfine,frostySundayinNovember,FrancesandItookalongwalkwemadethetourofthecitybytheBoulevardsand,afterwards,Francesbeingalittletired,wesatdownononeofthosewaysideseatsplacedunderthetrees,atintervals,fortheaccommodationoftheweary.FranceswastellingmeaboutSwitzerlandthesubjectanimatedherandIwasjustthinkingthathereyesspokefullaseloquentlyashertongue,whenshestoppedandremarked— “Monsieur,thereisagentlemanwhoknowsyou.” Ilookedupthreefashionablydressedmenwerejustthenpassing—Englishmen,IknewbytheirairandgaitaswellasbytheirfeaturesinthetallestofthetrioIatoncerecognizedMr.HunsdenhewasintheactofliftinghishattoFrancesafterwards,hemadeagrimaceatme,andpassedon. “Whoishe?” “ApersonIknewinEngland.” “Whydidhebowtome?Hedoesnotknowme.” “Yes,hedoesknowyou,inhisway.” “How,monsieur?”(Shestillcalledme“monsieur”Icouldnotpersuadehertoadoptanymorefamiliarterm.) “Didyounotreadtheexpressionofhiseyes?” “Ofhiseyes?No.Whatdidtheysay?” “Toyoutheysaid,‘Howdoyoudo,WilhelminaCrimsworth?’Tome,‘Soyouhavefoundyourcounterpartatlastthereshesits,thefemaleofyourkind!’” “Monsieur,youcouldnotreadallthatinhiseyeshewassosoongone.” “Ireadthatandmore,FrancesIreadthathewillprobablycallonmethisevening,oronsomefutureoccasionshortlyandIhavenodoubthewillinsistonbeingintroducedtoyoushallIbringhimtoyourrooms?” “Ifyouplease,monsieur—IhavenoobjectionIthink,indeed,Ishouldratherliketoseehimnearerhelookssooriginal.” AsIhadanticipated,Mr.Hunsdencamethatevening.Thefirstthinghesaidwas:— “Youneednotbeginboasting,MonsieurleProfesseurIknowaboutyourappointmentto——College,andallthatBrownhastoldme.”ThenheintimatedthathehadreturnedfromGermanybutadayortwosinceafterwards,heabruptlydemandedwhetherthatwasMadamePelet-ReuterwithwhomhehadseenmeontheBoulevards.Iwasgoingtoutteraratheremphaticnegative,butonsecondthoughtsIcheckedmyself,and,seemingtoassent,askedwhathethoughtofher? “Astoher,I’llcometothatdirectlybutfirstI’veawordforyou.Iseeyouareascoundrelyou’venobusinesstobepromenadingaboutwithanotherman’swife.Ithoughtyouhadsoundersensethantogetmixedupinforeignhodge-podgeofthissort.” “Butthelady?” “She’stoogoodforyouevidentlysheislikeyou,butsomethingbetterthanyou—nobeauty,thoughyetwhensherose(forIlookedbacktoseeyoubothwalkaway)Ithoughtherfigureandcarriagegood.Theseforeignersunderstandgrace.WhatthedevilhasshedonewithPelet?Shehasnotbeenmarriedtohimthreemonths—hemustbeaspoon!” IwouldnotletthemistakegotoofarIdidnotlikeitmuch. “Pelet?HowyourheadrunsonMons.andMadamePelet!Youarealwaystalkingaboutthem.IwishtothegodsyouhadwedMdlle.Zoraideyourself!” “WasthatyounggentlewomannotMdlle.Zoraide?” “NonorMadameZoraideeither.” “Whydidyoutellalie,then?” “Itoldnoliebutyouareissuchahurry.Sheisapupilofmine—aSwissgirl.” “Andofcourseyouaregoingtobemarriedtoher?Don’tdenythat.” “Married!IthinkIshall—ifFatesparesusbothtenweekslonger.Thatismylittlewildstrawberry,Hunsden,whosesweetnessmademecarelessofyourhothousegrapes.” “Stop!Noboasting—noheroicsIwon’thearthem.Whatisshe?Towhatcastedoesshebelong?” Ismiled.Hunsdenunconsciouslylaidstressonthewordcaste,and,infact,republican,lord-haterashewas,Hunsdenwasasproudofhisold——shireblood,ofhisdescentandfamilystanding,respectableandrespectedthroughlonggenerationsback,asanypeerintherealmofhisNormanraceandConquest-datedtitle.Hunsdenwouldaslittlehavethoughtoftakingawifefromacasteinferiortohisown,asaStanleywouldthinkofmatingwithaCobden.IenjoyedthesurpriseIshouldgiveIenjoyedthetriumphofmypracticeoverhistheoryandleaningoverthetable,andutteringthewordsslowlybutwithrepressedglee,Isaidconcisely— “Sheisalace-mender.” Hunsdenexaminedme.HedidnotSAYhewassurprised,butsurprisedhewashehadhisownnotionsofgoodbreeding.IsawhesuspectedIwasgoingtotakesomeveryrashstepbutrepressingdeclamationorremonstrance,heonlyanswered— “Well,youarethebestjudgeofyourownaffairs.Alace-mendermaymakeagoodwifeaswellasaladybutofcourseyouhavetakencaretoascertainthoroughlythatsinceshehasnoteducation,fortuneorstation,sheiswellfurnishedwithsuchnaturalqualitiesasyouthinkmostlikelytoconducetoyourhappiness.Hasshemanyrelations?” “NoneinBrussels.” “Thatisbetter.Relationsareoftentherealevilinsuchcases.Icannotbutthinkthatatrainofinferiorconnectionswouldhavebeenaboretoyoutoyourlife’send.” Aftersittinginsilencealittlewhilelonger,Hunsdenrose,andwasquietlybiddingmegoodeveningthepolite,consideratemannerinwhichheofferedmeh