"But first of all," he said, "I must help myself." And he went to join Madame de Cintre.
"I have been telling Madame de la Rochefidele that you are an American," she said, as he came up.

"It interests her greatly.

Her father went over with the French troops to help you in your battles in the last century, and she has always, in consequence, wanted greatly to see an American.
But she has never succeeded till to-night.

You are the first--to her knowledge--that she has ever looked at." Madame de la Rochefidele had an aged, cadaverous face, with a falling of the lower jaw which prevented her from bringing her lips together, and reduced her conversations to a series of impressive but inarticulate gutturals.

She raised an antique eyeglass, elaborately mounted in chased silver, and looked at Newman from head to foot.