 laughing at now?« our hero asked himself.
But he put the question without acrimony, for he felt that Madame de Cintré's
brother was a good fellow, and he had a presentiment that on this basis of good
fellowship they were destined to understand each other. Only, if there was
anything to laugh at, he wished to have a glimpse of it too.
    »To begin with,« said the young man, as he extended his hand, »have I come
too late?«
    »Too late for what?« asked Newman.
    »To smoke a cigar with you.«
    »You would have to come early to do that,« said Newman. »I don't smoke.«
    »Ah, you are a strong man!«
    »But I keep cigars,« Newman added. »Sit down.«
    »Surely, I may not smoke here,« said M. de Bellegarde.
    »What is the matter? Is the room too small?«
    »It is too large. It is like smoking in a ball-room, or a church.«
    »That is what you were laughing at just now?« Newman asked; »the size of my
room?«
    »It is not size only,« replied M. de Bellegarde, »but splendour, and
harmony, and beauty of detail. It was the smile of admiration.«
    Newman looked at him a moment, and then, »So it is very ugly?« he inquired.
    »Ugly, my dear sir? It is magnificent.«
    »That is the same thing, I suppose,« said Newman, »Make yourself
comfortable. Your coming to see me, I take it, is an act of friendship. You were
not obliged to. Therefore, if anything around here amuses you, it will be all in
a pleasant way. Laugh as loud as you please; I like to see my visitors cheerful.
Only, I must make this request: that you explain the joke to me as soon as you
can speak. I don't want to lose anything, myself.«
    M. de Bellegarde stared, with a look of unresentful perplexity. He laid his
hand on Newman's sleeve and seemed on the point of saying something, but he
suddenly checked himself, leaned back in his chair, and puffed at his cigar. At
last, however, breaking silence, »Certainly,« he said, »my coming to see you is
an act of friendship. Nevertheless I was in a measure obliged to do so.
