“That you wished to arrange a marriage,” said the marquis, slowly, “with my sister, the Comtesse de Cintre.  The proposal was serious, and required, on my mother’s part, a great deal of reflection.  She naturally took me into her counsels, and I gave my most zealous attention to the subject.  There was a great deal to be considered; more than you appear to imagine.  We have viewed the question on all its faces, we have weighed one thing against another.  Our conclusion has been that we favor your suit.  My mother has desired me to inform you of our decision.  She will have the honor of saying a few words to you on the subject, herself.  Meanwhile, by us, the heads of the family, you are accepted.”

Newman got up and came nearer to the marquis.  “You will do nothing to hinder me, and all you can to help me, eh?”

“I will recommend my sister to accept you.”

Newman passed his hand over his face, and pressed it for a moment upon his eyes.  This promise had a great sound, and yet the pleasure he took in it was embittered by his having to stand there so and receive his passport from M. de Bellegarde.  The idea of having this gentleman mixed up with his wooing and wedding was more and more disagreeable to him.  But Newman had resolved to go through the mill, as he imagined it, and he would not cry out at the first turn of the wheel.  He was silent a while, and then he said, with a certain dryness which Valentin told him afterwards had a very grand air, “I am much obliged to you.”

“I take note of the promise,” said Valentin, “I register the vow.”

M. de Bellegarde began to gaze at the cornice again; he apparently had something more to say.  “I must do my mother the justice,” he resumed, “I must do myself the justice, to say that our decision was not easy.  Such an arrangement was not what we had expected.  The idea that my sister should marry a gentleman—­ah—­in business was something of a novelty.”

“So I told you, you know,” said Valentin raising his finger at Newman.

“The novelty has not quite worn away, I confess,” the marquis went on; “perhaps it never will, entirely.  But possibly that is not altogether to be regretted,” and he gave his thin smile again.  “It may be that the time has come when we should make some concession to novelty.  There had been no novelties in our house for a great many years.  I made the observation to my mother, and she did me the honor to admit that it was worthy of attention.”

“My dear brother,” interrupted Valentin, “is not your memory just here leading you the least bit astray?  Our mother is, I may say, distinguished for her small respect of abstract reasoning.  Are you very sure that she replied to your striking proposition in the gracious manner you describe?  You know how terribly incisive she is sometimes.  Didn’t she, rather, do you the honor to say, ’A fiddlestick for your phrases!  There are better reasons than that’?”