We are conservative, Mr. Newman, but we are not
also bigots. We judged the matter liberally. We have no doubt that
everything will be comfortable."
Newman had stood listening to these remarks with his arms folded and his
eyes fastened upon M. de Bellegarde, "Comfortable?" he said, with a sort
of grim flatness of intonation. "Why shouldn't we be comfortable? If you
are not, it will be your own fault; I have everything to make ME so."
"My brother means that with the lapse of time you may get used to the
change"--and Valentin paused, to light another cigarette.
"What change?" asked Newman in the same tone.
"Urbain," said Valentin, very gravely, "I am afraid that Mr. Newman does
not quite realize the change. We ought to insist upon that."
"My brother goes too far," said M. de Bellegarde. "It is his fatal want
of tact again. It is my mother's wish, and mine, that no such allusions
should be made. Pray never make them yourself. We prefer to assume
that the person accepted as the possible husband of my sister is one
of ourselves, and that he should have no explanations to make. With a
little discretion on both sides, everything, I think, will be easy. That
is exactly what I wished to say--that we quite understand what we
have undertaken, and that you may depend upon our adhering to our
resolution.
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