Newman hardly knew what to say, though it seemed that to a duchess who
joked about her corpulence one might say almost anything. On hearing
that the duchess had come on purpose to see Newman, the gentlemen
who surrounded her turned a little and looked at him with sympathetic
curiosity. The marquis with supernatural gravity mentioned to him the
name of each, while the gentleman who bore it bowed; they were all what
are called in France beaux noms. "I wanted extremely to see you," the
duchess went on. "C'est positif. In the first place, I am very fond of
the person you are going to marry; she is the most charming creature in
France. Mind you treat her well, or you shall hear some news of me. But
you look as if you were good. I am told you are very remarkable. I have
heard all sorts of extraordinary things about you. Voyons, are they
true?"
"I don't know what you can have heard," said Newman.
"Oh, you have your legende. We have heard that you have had a career the
most checkered, the most bizarre. What is that about your having founded
a city some ten years ago in the great West, a city which contains
to-day half a million of inhabitants? Isn't it half a million,
messieurs? You are exclusive proprietor of this flourishing settlement,
and are consequently fabulously rich, and you would be richer still if
you didn't grant lands and houses free of rent to all newcomers who will
pledge themselves never to smoke cigars.
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