“He shows good taste in spite of his marriage,” I said.

“Certainly.  But his wife is your countrywoman.  That is the last famous international marriage, and the most vulgar of the whole lot.  Listen, mademoiselle, and I will tell you the exact truth of the whole affair.

“She came over here with letters to Paris friends, and when it became known that one of the richest heiresses in America was here, naturally all the mammas with marriageable sons were anxious to see her.  She was invited everywhere, but as she could not speak French, and as she was as you see her, her success could not be said to be great.  No, but that made no difference.  The Duchesse de Z——­ was determined that her son should marry the rich heiress.  As she expected to remain here a year or more, and the young Duc de Z——­ made a wry face, she did not press the matter.  Then the heiress went into a convent to learn French, and the Duchesse went to see her very often and took her to drive, and did her son’s part as well as she could.

“Suddenly, to the amazement of everybody, the heiress sailed for America without a word of warning.  The Duchesse was furious.  ’You must follow her,’ she said to her son.  ’We cannot let so much money escape.’  The son said he would be hanged if he went to America, or if he would marry such a monkey, and as for her money, she could go anywhere she pleased with it, or words to that effect.  So that ended the affair of the Duc de Z——.  When the other impecunious young nobles heard that the Duchesse no longer had any claims upon the American’s money they got together and said, ’Somebody must marry her and divide with the rest.  We can’t all marry her, but we can all have a share from whoever does.  Now we will draw lots to see who must go to America and marry her.’  The lot fell to the Baron de X——­, but he had no money for the journey.  So all the others raised what money they could and loaned it to him, and took his notes for it, with enormous interest, payable after his marriage.  He sailed away, and within eight months he had married her, but he has not paid those notes because his wife won’t give him the money!  And these gentlemen are furious!  Good joke, I call it.”

“What a shameful thing!” I said.  “I wonder if that girl knew how she was being married!”

“Of course she knew!  At least, she might have known.  She was rich and she was plain.  How could she hope to gain one of the proudest titles in France without buying it?”

“I wonder if she could have known!” I said, again.

“It would not have prevented the marriage, would it, mademoiselle, if she had?”

“Indeed it would!” I said (but I don’t know whether it would or not).  He shrugged his shoulders.

“America is very different from Europe, then, mademoiselle.  Here it would have made no difference.  When a great amount of money is to be placed, one must not have too many scruples.”