That orgies scandal did not hurt him much.

It is, alas! too true that consciousness of such a reputation does not often hurt a young man's feelings.

But the other rumour did wound him.

What! he sell himself to a widowed countess almost old enough to be his mother; or bestow himself rather,--for what was there in return that could be reckoned as a price?
At any rate, he had given no one cause to utter such falsehood, such calumny as that.

No; it certainly was not probable that he should marry the countess.
But this set him to ask himself whether it might or might not be possible that he should marry some one else.