ade. The young Frenchman came back and stopped in front of him.
"I give it up," he said; "I will not pretend I am not surprised. I
am--hugely! Ouf! It's a relief."

"That sort of news is always a surprise," said Newman. "No matter what
you have done, people are never prepared. But if you are so surprised, I
hope at least you are pleased."

"Come!" said Bellegarde. "I am going to be tremendously frank. I don't
know whether I am pleased or horrified."

"If you are pleased, I shall be glad," said Newman, "and I shall
be--encouraged. If you are horrified, I shall be sorry, but I shall not
be discouraged. You must make the best of it."

"That is quite right--that is your only possible attitude. You are
perfectly serious?"

"Am I a Frenchman, that I should not be?" asked Newman. "But why is it,
by the bye, that you should be horrified?"

Bellegarde raised his hand to the back of his head and rubbed his hair
quickly up and down, thrusting out the tip of his tongue as he did so.
"Why, you are not noble, for instance," he said.

"The devil I am not!" exclaimed Newman.

"Oh," said Bellegarde a little more seriously, "I did not know you had a
title."

"A title? What do you mean by a title?" asked Newman. "A count, a duke,
a marquis? I don't know anything about that, I don't know who is and who
is not. But I say I am noble. I don't exactly know what you mean by it,
but it's a fine word and a fine idea; I put in a claim to it."

"But what have you to show, my dear fellow, what proofs?"

"Anything you please! But you don't suppose I am going to undertake to
prove that I am noble. It is for you to prove the contrary."

"That's easily done. You have manufactured wash-tubs."

Newman stared a moment. "Therefore I am not noble? I don't see it. Tell
me something I have NOT done--something I cannot do."

"You cannot marry a woman like Madame de Cintre for the asking."

"I believe you mean," said Newman slowly, "that I am not good enough."

"Brutally speaking--yes!"

Bellegarde had hesitated a moment, and while he hesitated Newman's
attentive glance had grown somewhat eager. In answer to these last words
he for a moment said nothing. He simply blushed a little. Then he raised
his eyes to the ceiling and stood looking at one of the rosy cherubs
that was painted upon it. "Of course I don't expect to marry any
woman for the asking," he said at last; "I expect first to make myself
acceptable to her. She must like me, to begin