 understand me.«
    The Countess might accuse him, but Harry never had the ambition to make
people think him that: his natural tendency was the reverse: and he objected to
the application of the word jackanapes to himself, and was ready to contest the
fact of people having that opinion at all. However, all he did was to repeat:
»Compromise!«
    »Is not open unkindness to me compromising me?«
    »How?« asked Harry.
    »Would you dare to do it to a strange lady? Would you have the impudence to
attempt it with any woman here but me? No, I am innocent; it is my consolation;
I have resisted you, but you by this cowardly behaviour place me - and my
reputation, which is more - at your mercy. Noble behaviour, Mr. Harry Jocelyn! I
shall remember my young English gentleman.«
    The view was totally new to Harry.
    »I really had no idea of compromising you,« he said. »Upon my honour, I
can't see how I did it now!«
    »Oblige me by walking less in the neighbourhood of those fat-faced glaring
farm-girls,« the Countess spoke under her breath; »and don't look as if you were
being whipped. The art of it is evident - you are but carrying on the game. -
Listen. If you permit yourself to exhibit an unkindness to me, you show to any
man who is a judge, and to every woman, that there has been something between
us. You know my innocence - yes! but you must punish me for having resisted you
thus long.«
    Harry swore he never had such an idea, and was much too much of a man and a
gentleman to behave in that way. - And yet it seemed wonderfully clever! And
here was the Countess saying:
    »Take your reward, Mr. Harry Jocelyn. You have succeeded; I am your humble
slave. I come to you and sue for peace. To save my reputation I endanger myself.
This is generous of you.«
    »Am I such a clever fellow?« thought the young gentleman. »Deuced lucky with
women«: he knew that: still a fellow must be wonderfully, miraculously, clever
to be able to twist and spin about such a woman as this in that way. He did not
object to conceive that he was the fellow to do it. Besides, here was the
Countess de Saldar - worth five hundred of the Conley girls - almost at his
feet!
    Mollified, he said:
