eadsman’sselfishnessinwidercircles”(firestirred,dishputdownbeforeit).
“WereyouborninSwitzerland?”
“Ishouldthinkso,orelsewhyshouldIcallitmycountry?”
“AndwheredidyougetyourEnglishfeaturesandfigure?”
“IamEnglish,toohalfthebloodinmyveinsisEnglishthusIhavearighttoadoublepowerofpatriotism,possessinganinterestintwonoble,free,andfortunatecountries.”
“YouhadanEnglishmother?”
“Yes,yesandyou,Isuppose,hadamotherfromthemoonorfromUtopia,sincenotanationinEuropehasaclaimonyourinterest?”
“Onthecontrary,I’mauniversalpatriot,ifyoucouldunderstandmerightly:mycountryistheworld.”
“Sympathiessowidelydiffusedmustbeveryshallow:willyouhavethegoodnesstocometotable.Monsieur”(tomewhoappearedtobenowabsorbedinreadingbymoonlight)—“Monsieur,supperisserved.”
ThiswassaidinquiteadifferentvoicetothatinwhichshehadbeenbandyingphraseswithMr.Hunsden—notsoshort,graverandsofter.
“Frances,whatdoyoumeanbypreparing,supper?wehadnointentionofstaying.”
“Ah,monsieur,butyouhavestayed,andsupperispreparedyouhaveonlythealternativeofeatingit.”
Themealwasaforeignone,ofcourseitconsistedintwosmallbuttastydishesofmeatpreparedwithskillandservedwithnicetyasaladand“fromagefrancais,”completedit.Thebusinessofeatinginterposedabrieftrucebetweenthebelligerents,butnosoonerwassupperdisposedofthantheywereatitagain.ThefreshsubjectofdisputeranonthespiritofreligiousintolerancewhichMr.HunsdenaffirmedtoexiststronglyinSwitzerland,notwithstandingtheprofessedattachmentoftheSwisstofreedom.HereFranceshadgreatlytheworstofit,notonlybecauseshewasunskilledtoargue,butbecauseherownrealopinionsonthepointinquestionhappenedtocoincideprettynearlywithMr.Hunsden’s,andsheonlycontradictedhimoutofopposition.Atlastshegavein,confessingthatshethoughtashethought,butbiddinghimtakenoticethatshedidnotconsiderherselfbeaten.
“NomoredidtheFrenchatWaterloo,”saidHunsden.
“Thereisnocomparisonbetweenthecases,”rejoinedFrances“minewasashamfight.”
“Shamorreal,it’supwithyou.”
“NothoughIhaveneitherlogicnorwealthofwords,yetinacasewheremyopinionreallydifferedfromyours,IwouldadheretoitwhenIhadnotanotherwordtosayinitsdefenceyoushouldbebaffledbydumbdetermination.YouspeakofWaterlooyourWellingtonoughttohavebeenconquere