determinedtolooknomoretillIcouldlookatmyease.IfHunsdenhadcomeinatthatmoment,Ishouldhavesaidtohim,“Ioweyounothing,Hunsden—notafractionofafarthing:youhavepaidyourselfintaunts!”
Tooanxioustoremainanylongerquiescent,Ihadnosoonerbreakfasted,thanIrepairedoncemoretoM.Vandenhuten’s,scarcelyhopingtofindhimathomeforaweekhadbarelyelapsedsincemyfirstcall:butfancyingImightbeabletogleaninformationastothetimewhenhisreturnwasexpected.AbetterresultawaitedmethanIhadanticipated,forthoughthefamilywereyetatOstend,M.VandenhutenhadcomeovertoBrusselsonbusinessfortheday.Hereceivedmewiththequietkindnessofasincerethoughnotexcitableman.Ihadnotsatfiveminutesalonewithhiminhisbureau,beforeIbecameawareofasenseofeaseinhispresence,suchasIrarelyexperiencedwithstrangers.Iwassurprisedatmyowncomposure,for,afterall,Ihadcomeonbusinesstomeexceedinglypainful—thatofsolicitingafavour.Iaskedonwhatbasisthecalmrested—Ifeareditmightbedeceptive.ErelongIcaughtaglimpseoftheground,andatonceIfeltassuredofitssolidityIknewwhereitwas.
M.Vandenhutenwasrich,respected,andinfluentialI,poor,despisedandpowerlesssowestoodtotheworldatlargeasmembersoftheworld’ssocietybuttoeachother,asapairofhumanbeings,ourpositionswerereversed.TheDutchman(hewasnotFlamand,butpureHollandais)wasslow,cool,ofratherdenseintelligence,thoughsoundandaccuratejudgmenttheEnglishmanfarmorenervous,active,quickerbothtoplanandtopractise,toconceiveandtorealize.TheDutchmanwasbenevolent,theEnglishmansusceptibleinshortourcharactersdovetailed,butmymindhavingmorefireandactionthanhis,instinctivelyassumedandkeptthepredominance.
Thispointsettled,andmypositionwellascertained,Iaddressedhimonthesubjectofmyaffairswiththatgenuinefranknesswhichfullconfidencecanaloneinspire.Itwasapleasuretohimtobesoappealedtohethankedmeforgivinghimthisopportunityofusingalittleexertioninmybehalf.Iwentontoexplaintohimthatmywishwasnotsomuchtobehelped,astobeputintothewayofhelpingmyselfofhimIdidnotwantexertion—thatwastobemypart—butonlyinformationandrecommendation.SoonafterIrosetogo.Heheldouthishandatparting—anactionofgreatersignificancewithforeignersthanwithEnglishmen.AsIexchangedasmilewithhim,Ithoughtthebenevolenceofhistruthfulfacewasbetterthantheintelligenceofmyown.Charactersofmyorderexperienceabalm-likesolaceinthecontactofsuchsoulsasanimatedthehonestbreastofVictorVandenhuten.
Thenextfortnightwasaperiodofmanyalternationsmyexistenceduringitslapseresembledaskyofoneofthoseautumnalnightswhicharespeciallyhauntedbymeteorsandfallingsta