第50章

His whiskers were fair and glossy, and he had a large dimple, of unmistakably British origin, in the middle of his handsome chin.

He was "distinguished" to the tips of his polished nails, and there was not a movement of his fine, perpendicular person that was not noble and majestic.Newman had never yet been confronted with such an incarnation of the art of taking one's self seriously;he felt a sort of impulse to step backward, as you do to get a view of a great facade.

"Urbain," said young Madame de Bellegarde, who had apparently been waiting for her husband to take her to her ball, "I call your attention to the fact that I am dressed.""That is a good idea," murmured Valentin.

"I am at your orders, my dear friend," said M.de Bellegarde.

"Only, you must allow me first the pleasure of a little conversation with Mr.Newman.""Oh, if you are going to a party, don't let me keep you,"objected Newman."I am very sure we shall meet again.Indeed, if you would like to converse with me I will gladly name an hour."He was eager to make it known that he would readily answer all questions and satisfy all exactions.

M.de Bellegarde stood in a well-balanced position before the fire, caressing one of his fair whiskers with one of his white hands, and looking at Newman, half askance, with eyes from which a particular ray of observation made its way through a general meaningless smile.

"It is very kind of you to make such an offer," he said."If I am not mistaken, your occupations are such as to make your time precious.

You are in--a-- as we say, dans les affaires.""In business, you mean? Oh no, I have thrown business overboard for the present.I am 'loafing,' as WE say.

My time is quite my own."

"Ah, you are taking a holiday," rejoined M.de Bellegarde.

"'Loafing.' Yes, I have heard that expression.""Mr.Newman is American," said Madame de Bellegarde.

"My brother is a great ethnologist," said Valentin.

"An ethnologist?" said Newman."Ah, you collect negroes'

skulls, and that sort of thing."

The marquis looked hard at his brother, and began to caress his other whisker.Then, turning to Newman, with sustained urbanity, "You are traveling for your pleasure?" he asked.'

"Oh, I am knocking about to pick up one thing and another.

Of course I get a good deal of pleasure out of it.""What especially interests you?" inquired the marquis.

"Well, everything interests me," said Newman."I am not particular.

Manufactures are what I care most about.""That has been your specialty?"

"I can't say I have any specialty.My specialty has been to make the largest possible fortune in the shortest possible time."Newman made this last remark very deliberately; he wished to open the way, if it were necessary, to an authoritative statement of his means.

M.de Bellegarde laughed agreeably."I hope you have succeeded," he said.

"Yes, I have made a fortune in a reasonable time.

I am not so old, you see."

"Paris is a very good place to spend a fortune.

I wish you great enjoyment of yours." And M.de Bellegarde drew forth his gloves and began to put them on.

Newman for a few moments watched him sliding his white hands into the white kid, and as he did so his feelings took a singular turn.

M.de Bellegarde's good wishes seemed to descend out of the white expanse of his sublime serenity with the soft, scattered movement of a shower of snow-flakes.Yet Newman was not irritated;he did not feel that he was being patronized; he was conscious of no especial impulse to introduce a discord into so noble a harmony.

Only he felt himself suddenly in personal contact with the forces with which his friend Valentin had told him that he would have to contend, and he became sensible of their intensity.

He wished to make some answering manifestation, to stretch himself out at his own length, to sound a note at the uttermost end of HIS scale.

It must be added that if this impulse was not vicious or malicious, it was by no means void of humorous expectancy.Newman was quite as ready to give play to that loosely-adjusted smile of his, if his hosts should happen to be shocked, as he was far from deliberately planning to shock them.

"Paris is a very good place for idle people," he said, "or it is a very good place if your family has been settled here for a long time, and you have made acquaintances and got your relations round you; or if you have got a good big house like this, and a wife and children and mother and sister, and everything comfortable.I don't like that way of living all in rooms next door to each other.But I am not an idler.

I try to be, but I can't manage it; it goes against the grain.

My business habits are too deep-seated.Then, I haven't any house to call my own, or anything in the way of a family.

My sisters are five thousand miles away, my mother died when Iwas a youngster, and I haven't any wife; I wish I had!

So, you see, I don't exactly know what to do with myself.

I am not fond of books, as you are, sir, and I get tired of dining out and going to the opera.I miss my business activity.

You see, I began to earn my living when I was almost a baby, and until a few months ago I have never had my hand off the plow.

Elegant leisure comes hard."

This speech was followed by a profound silence of some moments, on the part of Newman's entertainers.Valentin stood looking at him fixedly, with his hands in his pockets, and then he slowly, with a half-sidling motion, went out of the door.

The marquis continued to draw on his gloves and to smile benignantly.

"You began to earn your living when you were a mere baby?"said the marquise.

"Hardly more--a small boy."

"You say you are not fond of books," said M.de Bellegarde;"but you must do yourself the justice to remember that your studies were interrupted early.""That is very true; on my tenth birthday I stopped going to school.

I thought it was a grand way to keep it.But I picked up some information afterwards," said Newman, reassuringly.

"You have some sisters?" asked old Madame de Bellegarde.

"Yes, two sisters.Splendid women!"