rtesy."

"I do not complain of your candor, sir. It is your--your--"

"My pretension?"

"Well, yes, pretension will do."

"Well, my Lady, I will not quarrel with the phrase. I do 'pretend,'
as we say in French. In fact, I have been little other than a pretender
these last few years."

"And what is it you pretend to? May I ask the question?"

"I do not know if I may dare to answer it," said he, slowly.... "I will
explain what I mean," added he, after a brief silence, and drawing his
chair somewhat nearer to where she sat. "I will explain. If, in one
of my imaginative gossipries with a friend, I were to put forward some
claim--some ambition--which would sound absurd coming from me _now_, but
which, were I the owner of a great estate, would neither be extravagant
nor ridiculous, the memory of that unlucky pretension would live against
me ever after, and the laugh that my vanity excited would ring in my
ears long after I had ceased to regard the sentiment as vanity at all.
Do you follow me?"

"Yes, I believe I do. I would only have you remember that I am not Mr.
Longworth."

"A reason the more for my caution."

"Could n't we converse without riddles, Count Pracontal?"

"I protest, I should like to do so."

"And as I make no objection--"

"Then to begin. You asked me what I should do if I were to gain my
suit; and my answer is, if I were not morally certain to gain it, I 'd
never exhibit myself in the absurd position of planning a life I was
never to arrive at."

"You are too much a Frenchman for that."

"Precisely, madame. I am too much a Frenchman for that. The exquisite
sensibility to ridicule puts a very fine edge on national character,
though your countrymen will not admit it."

"It makes very tetchy acquaintances," said she, with a malicious laugh.

"And develops charming generosity in those who forgive us!"

"I cry off. I can't keep up this game of give and take flatteries. Let
us come back to what we were talking of,--that is, if either of us
can remember it. Oh, yes, I know it now. You were going to tell me the
splendid establishment you 'd keep at Castello. I 'm sure the cook will
leave nothing to desire,--but how about the stable? That 'steppere' will
not exactly be in his place in an Irish county."

"Madame, you forget I was a lieutenant of hussars."

"My dear Count, that does not mean riding."

"Madame!"

"I should now rise and say 'Monsieur!' and it would be very good comedy
after th