nyourfeelingsarelesssuperfinethanItookthemtobeyoumustbeacoarse,callouscharacter,tobearsuchathwackwithoutstaggeringunderit.”
“Staggeringunderit?WhatthedeuceistheretostaggerunderinthecircumstanceofaBelgianschoolmistressmarryingaFrenchschoolmaster?Theprogenywilldoubtlessbeastrangehybridracebutthat’stheirlook-out—notmine.”
“Heindulgesinscurrilousjests,andthebridewashisaffiancedone!”
“Whosaidso?”
“Brown.”
“I’lltellyouwhat,Hunsden—Brownisanoldgossip.”
“Heisbutinthemeantime,ifhisgossipbefoundedonlessthanfact—ifyoutooknoparticularinterestinMissZoraide—why,Oyouthfulpedagogue!didyouleaveyourplaceinconsequenceofherbecomingMadamePelet?”
“Because—”Ifeltmyfacegrowalittlehot“because—inshort,Mr.Hunsden,Ideclineansweringanymorequestions,”andIplungedmyhandsdeepinmybreechespocket.
Hunsdentriumphed:hiseyes—hislaughannouncedvictory.
“Whatthedeuceareyoulaughingat,Mr.Hunsden?”
“Atyourexemplarycomposure.Well,lad,I’llnotboreyouIseehowitis:Zoraidehasjiltedyou—marriedsomeonericher,asanysensiblewomanwouldhavedoneifshehadhadthechance.”
Imadenoreply—Ilethimthinkso,notfeelinginclinedtoenterintoanexplanationoftherealstateofthings,andaslittletoforgeafalseaccountbutitwasnoteasytoblindHunsdenmyverysilence,insteadofconvincinghimthathehadhitthetruth,seemedtorenderhimdoubtfulaboutithewenton:—
“Isupposetheaffairhasbeenconductedassuchaffairsalwaysareamongstrationalpeople:youofferedheryouryouthandyourtalents—suchastheyare—inexchangeforherpositionandmoney:Idon’tsupposeyoutookappearance,orwhatiscalledLOVE,intotheaccount—forIunderstandsheisolderthanyou,andBrownsays,rathersensible-lookingthanbeautiful.She,havingthennochanceofmakingabetterbargain,wasatfirstinclinedtocometotermswithyou,butPelet—theheadofaflourishingschool—steppedinwithahigherbidsheaccepted,andhehasgother:acorrecttransaction—perfectlyso—business-likeandlegitimate.Andnowwe’lltalkofsomethingelse.”
“Do,”saidI,verygladtodismissthetopic,andespeciallygladtohavebaffledthesagacityofmycross-questioner—if,indeed,Ihadbaffleditforthoughhiswordsnowledawayfromthedangerouspoint,hiseyes,keenandwatchful,seemedstillpreoccupiedwiththeformeridea.
“YouwanttohearnewsfromX——?AndwhatinterestcanyouhaveinX——?Youleftnofriendsthere,foryoumadenone.Nobodyeverasksafteryou—neithermannorwomanandifImentionyournameincompany,themenlookasifIhadspokenofPresterJohnandthewomensneercovertly.OurX——bellesmusthavedislikedyou.Howdidyouexcitetheirdispleasure?”
“Idon’tknow.Iseldomspoketothem