while he stood ready to
accept the admired object in all its complexity; he felt that he could
do so in profound security, and examine its mechanism afterwards, at
leisure.

"I am very glad to find you alone," he said. "You know I have never had
such good luck before."

"But you have seemed before very well contented with your luck," said
Madame de Cintre. "You have sat and watched my visitors with an air of
quiet amusement. What have you thought of them?"

"Oh, I have thought the ladies were very elegant and very graceful, and
wonderfully quick at repartee. But what I have chiefly thought has
been that they only helped me to admire you." This was not gallantry on
Newman's part--an art in which he was quite unversed. It was simply the
instinct of the practical man, who had made up his mind what he wanted,
and was now beginning to take active steps to obtain it.

Madame de Cintre started slightly, and raised her eyebrows; she had
evidently not expected so fervid a compliment. "Oh, in that case," she
said with a laugh, "your finding me alone is not good luck for me. I
hope some one will come in quickly."

"I hope not," said Newman. "I have something particular to say to you.
Have you seen your brother?"

"Yes, I saw him an hour ago."

"Did he tell you that he had seen me last night?"

"He said so."

"And did he tell you what we had talked about?"

Madame de Cintre hesitated a moment. As Newman asked these questions
she had grown a little pale, as if she regarded what was coming as
necessary, but not as agreeable. "Did you give him a message to me?" she
asked.

"It was not exactly a message--I asked him to render me a service."

"The service was to sing your praises, was it not?" And she accompanied
this question with a little smile, as if to make it easier to herself.

"Yes, that is what it really amounts to," said Newman. "Did he sing my
praises?"

"He spoke very well of you. But when I know that it was by your special
request, of course I must take his eulogy with a grain of salt."

"Oh, that makes no difference," said Newman. "Your brother would not
have spoken well of me unless he believed what he was saying. He is too
honest for that."

"Are you very deep?" said Madame de Cintre. "Are you trying to please me
by praising my brother? I confess it is a good way."

"For me, any way that succeeds will be good. I will praise your brother
all day, if that will help me. He is a noble little fellow. He h