ANDPelethimself?HowdidIcontinuetolikehim?Oh,extremelywell!Nothingcouldbemoresmooth,gentlemanlike,andevenfriendly,thanhisdemeanourtome.Ihadtoendurefromhimneithercoldneglect,irritatinginterference,norpretentiousassumptionofsuperiority.Ifear,however,twopoor,hard-workedBelgianushersintheestablishmentcouldnothavesaidasmuchtothemthedirector’smannerwasinvariablydry,stern,andcool.IbelieveheperceivedonceortwicethatIwasalittleshockedatthedifferencehemadebetweenthemandme,andaccountedforitbysaying,withaquietsarcasticsmile—
“CenesontquedesFlamands—allez!”
Andthenhetookhiscigargentlyfromhislipsandspatonthepaintedflooroftheroominwhichweweresitting.Flamandscertainlytheywere,andbothhadthetrueFlamandphysiognomy,whereintellectualinferiorityismarkedinlinesnonecanmistakestilltheyweremen,and,inthemain,honestmenandIcouldnotseewhytheirbeingaboriginalsoftheflat,dullsoilshouldserveasapretextfortreatingthemwithperpetualseverityandcontempt.Thisidea,ofinjusticesomewhatpoisonedthepleasureImightotherwisehavederivedfromPelet’ssoftaffablemannertomyself.Certainlyitwasagreeable,whentheday’sworkwasover,tofindone’semployeranintelligentandcheerfulcompanionandifhewassometimesalittlesarcasticandsometimesalittletooinsinuating,andifIdiddiscoverthathismildnesswasmoreamatterofappearancethanofreality—ifIdidoccasionallysuspecttheexistenceofflintorsteelunderanexternalcoveringofvelvet—stillwearenoneofusperfectandwearyasIwasoftheatmosphereofbrutalityandinsolenceinwhichIhadconstantlylivedatX——,Ihadnoinclinationnow,oncastinganchorincalmerregions,toinstituteatonceapryingsearchafterdefectsthatwerescrupulouslywithdrawnandcarefullyveiledfrommyview.IwaswillingtotakePeletforwhatheseemed—tobelievehimbenevolentandfriendlyuntilsomeuntowardeventshouldprovehimotherwise.Hewasnotmarried,andIsoonperceivedhehadallaFrenchman’s,allaParisian’snotionsaboutmatrimonyandwomen.Isuspectedadegreeoflaxityinhiscodeofmorals,therewassomethingsocoldandBLASEinhistonewheneverhealludedtowhathecalled“lebeausexe”buthewastoo