“I am less confident on that subject than you,” replied Lord Nelville, “and certainly not without reason.  I am afraid that this forward request may have displeased Corinne.”  “Not at all, I assure you,” said the Count d’Erfeuil; “she has too much good sense for that; and her answer is extremely polite.”  “How! she has answered you,” replied Lord Nelville; “and what has she said to you, my dear Count?” “Ah, my dear Count?” said M. d’Erfeuil, laughing, “you change your note then, since you know that Corinne has answered me; however, I love you, and all is pardoned.  I will confess to you then, modestly, that in my note I had spoken of myself more than of you, and that, in her answer she seems to have named you first, but I am never jealous of my friends.”  “Indeed,” replied Lord Nelville, “I do not think that either you or I have any reason to flatter ourselves with being agreeable to Corinne; and as to me, all that I desire is sometimes to enjoy the society of so extraordinary a lady:  so adieu till this evening, since you have arranged it so.”  “You will accompany me then?” said the Count d’Erfeuil.  “Well, yes, I will,” answered Lord Nelville with visible embarrassment.  “Why then,” continued the Count, “find fault with what I have done?  You finish as I have begun, but however, I must allow you the honour of being more reserved than I, provided you lose nothing by it.  Corinne is certainly a charming lady, she is graceful and witty; I could not comprehend what she said very well, because she spoke Italian; but I would venture to lay a wager, from only seeing her, that she knows French very well:  however, we shall judge of that in the evening.  She leads a very singular life; she is rich, young, and independent; yet no one can tell, to a certainty, whether she has lovers or not.  It appears certain, notwithstanding, that, at present she gives a preference to no one; indeed,” added he, “it may be the case that she has not been able to find in this country a man worthy of her:  that would not astonish me at all.”

The Count held this kind of discourse some time longer without being interrupted by Lord Nelville.  He said nothing that was discourteous; but he always wounded the delicate feelings of Oswald by speaking with too much boldness or too much levity upon what interested him.  There is a certain tact that even wit and knowledge of the world will not teach; so that, without being wanting in the most perfect politeness, we may often wound the heart.

Lord Nelville was very much agitated the whole day in thinking of the visit he was to make in the evening; but he drove away from him as much as he could the reflections which disturbed him, and endeavoured to persuade himself that he might find pleasure in a sentiment, without permitting it to decide the fate of his life.  False security! for the soul receives no pleasure from anything which it deems transient.

Oswald and the Count arrived at Corinne’s house, which was situated in the Quartiere di Trastevere, a little beyond the castle of St Angelo.