And the Duchess of C-, I have heard, was a ballet
girl, but nobody seems to remember it. I don't think the people
whose opinion is worth having will object to me for very long."
The girl was beginning rather to enjoy the contest.
"You profess to love my son," cried the countess fiercely, "and you
are going to ruin his life. You will drag him down to your own
level."
The girl must have looked rather fine at that moment, I should
dearly love to have been present.
"There will be no dragging down, my lady," she replied, "on either
side. I do love your son very dearly. He is one of the kindest
and best of gentlemen. But I am not blind, and whatever amount of
cleverness there may be between us belongs chiefly to me. I shall
make it my duty to fit myself for the position of his wife, and to
help him in his work. You need not fear, my lady, I shall be a
good wife to him, and he shall never regret it. You might find him
a richer wife, a better educated wife, but you will never find him
a wife who will be more devoted to him and to his interests."
That practically brought the scene to a close. The countess had
sense enough to see that she was only losing ground by argument.
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