Part 6 (2/2)
”Whenever you will permit me, Countess,” he said.
”I am always at home in the middle of the day. And you too, Mr. Barker, do not wait to be asked before you come again. You are absolutely the only civilised American I know here.”
”Don't say that, Countess. There is the Duke, who came with me yesterday.”
”But he is English.”
”But he is also American. He owns mines and prairies, and he emigrates semi-annually. They all do now. You know rats leave a sinking s.h.i.+p, and they are going to have a commune in England.”
”Oh, Mr. Barker, how can you!” exclaimed Miss Skeat.
”But I am only joking, of course,” said he, and pacified her. So they parted.
Mr. Barker and Claudius stood on the front door-step, and the former lit a cigar while the carriage drove up.
”Doctor,” said he, ”I consider you the most remarkable man of my acquaintance.”
”Why?” asked Claudius as he got into the carriage.
”Well, for several reasons. Chiefly because though you have lived in a 'three pair back' for years, and never seen so much as a woman's ear, by your own account, you nevertheless act as if you had never been out of a drawing-room during your life. You are the least shy man I ever saw.”
”Shy?” exclaimed Claudius, ”what a funny idea! Why should I be shy?”
”No reason in the world, I suppose, after all. But it is very odd.” And Mr. Barker ruminated, rolling his cigar in his mouth. ”Besides,” he added, after a long pause, ”you have made a conquest.”
”Nonsense. Now, you have some right to flatter yourself on that score.”
”Miss Skeat?” said Mr. Barker. ”Sit still, my heart!”
They drove along in silence for some time. At last Mr. Barker began again,--
”Well, Professor, what are you going to do about it?”
”About what?”
”Why, about the conquest. Shall you go there again?”
”Very likely.” Claudius was annoyed at his companion's tone of voice. He would have scoffed at the idea that he loved the Countess at first sight; but she nevertheless represented his ideal to him, and he could not bear to hear Mr. Barker's chaffing remarks. Of course Barker had taken him to the house, and had a right to ask if Claudius had found the visit interesting. But Claudius was determined to check any kind of levity from the first. He did not like it about women on any terms, but in connection with the Countess Margaret it was positively unbearable.
So he answered curtly enough to show Mr. Barker he objected to it. The latter readily understood and drew his own inferences.
A different conversation ensued in the Countess's garden when the visitors were gone.
”Well, Miss Skeat,” said Margaret, ”what do you think of my new acquaintances?”
”I think Mr. Barker is the most agreeable American I ever met,” said Miss Skeat. ”He has very sound views about social questions, and his information on the subject of American Indians is perfectly extraordinary.”
”And the Doctor? what do you think of him?”
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