Part 20 (1/2)
”The devil I am not!” exclaimed Newman.
”Oh,” said Bellegarde a little more seriously, ”I did not know you had a t.i.tle.”
”A t.i.tle? What do you mean by a t.i.tle?” 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 n.o.ble. 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 n.o.ble. 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 n.o.ble? 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 with. But that I am not good enough to make a trial is rather a surprise.”
Bellegarde wore a look of mingled perplexity, sympathy, and amus.e.m.e.nt.
”You should not hesitate, then, to go up to-morrow and ask a d.u.c.h.ess to marry you?”
”Not if I thought she would suit me. But I am very fastidious; she might not at all.”
Bellegarde's amus.e.m.e.nt began to prevail. ”And you should be surprised if she refused you?”
Newman hesitated a moment. ”It sounds conceited to say yes, but nevertheless I think I should. For I should make a very handsome offer.”
”What would it be?”
”Everything she wishes. If I get hold of a woman that comes up to my standard, I shall think nothing too good for her. I have been a long time looking, and I find such women are rare. To combine the qualities I require seems to be difficult, but when the difficulty is vanquished it deserves a reward. My wife shall have a good position, and I'm not afraid to say that I shall be a good husband.”
”And these qualities that you require--what are they?”
”Goodness, beauty, intelligence, a fine education, personal elegance--everything, in a word, that makes a splendid woman.”
”And n.o.ble birth, evidently,” said Bellegarde.
”Oh, throw that in, by all means, if it's there. The more the better!”
”And my sister seems to you to have all these things?”
”She is exactly what I have been looking for. She is my dream realized.”
”And you would make her a very good husband?”
”That is what I wanted you to tell her.”
Bellegarde laid his hand on his companion's arm a moment, looked at him with his head on one side, from head to foot, and then, with a loud laugh, and shaking the other hand in the air, turned away. He walked again the length of the room, and again he came back and stationed himself in front of Newman. ”All this is very interesting--it is very curious. In what I said just now I was speaking, not for myself, but for my tradition, my superst.i.tions. For myself, really, your proposal tickles me. It startled me at first, but the more I think of it the more I see in it. It's no use attempting to explain anything; you won't understand me. After all, I don't see why you need; it's no great loss.”
”Oh, if there is anything more to explain, try it! I want to proceed with my eyes open. I will do my best to understand.”
”No,” said Bellegarde, ”it's disagreeable to me; I give it up. I liked you the first time I saw you, and I will abide by that. It would be quite odious for me to come talking to you as if I could patronize you.