The words were no sooner out of his mouth, than Mr Glascock knew, and remembered, and felt what he had said.  There are occasions in which a man sins so deeply against fitness and the circumstances of the hour, that it becomes impossible for him to slur over his sin as though it had not been committed.  There are certain little peccadilloes in society which one can manage to throw behind one perhaps with some difficulty, and awkwardness; but still they are put aside, and conversation goes on, though with a hitch.  But there are graver offences, the gravity of which strikes the offender so seriously that it becomes impossible for him to seem even to ignore his own iniquity.  Ashes must be eaten publicly, and sackcloth worn before the eyes of men.  It was so now with poor Mr Glascock.  He thought about it for a moment whether or no it was possible that he should continue his remarks about the American ladies, without betraying his own consciousness of the thing that he had done; and he found that it was quite impossible.  He knew that he was red up to his hairs, and hot, and that his blood tingled.  His blushes, indeed, would not be seen in the seclusion of the banquette; but he could not overcome the heat and the tingling.  There was silence for about three minutes, and then he felt that it would be best for him to confess his own fault.  ‘Trevelyan,’ he said, ’I am very sorry for the allusion that I made.  I ought to have been less awkward, and I beg your pardon.’

‘It does not matter,’ said Trevelyan.  ’Of course I know that everybody is talking of it behind my back.  I am not to expect that people will be silent because I am unhappy.’

‘Nevertheless I beg your pardon,’ said the other.

There was but little further conversation between them till they reached Lanslebourg, at the foot of the mountain, at which place they occupied themselves with getting coffee for the two American ladies.  The Miss Spaldings took their coffee almost with as much grace as though it had been handed to them by Frenchmen.  And indeed they were very gracious, as is the nature of American ladies in spite of that hardness of which Trevelyan had complained.  They assume an intimacy readily, with no appearance of impropriety, and are at their ease easily.  When, therefore, they were handed out of their carriage by Mr Glascock, the bystanders at Lanslebourg might have thought that the whole party had been travelling together from New York.  ’What should we have done if you hadn’t taken pity on us?’ said the elder lady.  ’I don’t think we could have climbed up into that high place; and look at the crowd that have come out of the interior.  A man has some advantages after all.’

‘I am quite in the dark as to what they are,’ said Mr Glascock.

’He can give up his place to a lady, and can climb up into a banquette.’

’And he can be a member of Congress,’’said the younger.  ’I’d sooner be senator from Massachusetts than be the Queen of England.’