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,thou