This fine speaker seemed charming to Samuel, who found in him wit, knowledge, scholarship, and taste; he possessed the (in his eyes) meritorious quality of not knowing Samuel Brohl.

For Samuel had come to divide the human race into two categories: the first comprehended those well-to-do, thriving people who did not know a certain Brohl; he placed in the second old women who did know him.

He interrogated the counsellor with deference, he hung upon his words, he smiled with an air of approbation at all the absurdities that escaped him; he would have been willing to have his discourse last three hours by the watch; if this charming bore had shown symptoms of escaping him, he would have held him back by the button.
Suddenly he heard a harsh voice, saying to Mme.

de Lorcy: "Where is Count Larinski?
Bring him to me; I want to have a discussion with him." He could not do otherwise than comply; he quitted his counsellor with regret, went over and took a seat in the arm-chair that Mme.

de Lorcy drew up for him at the side of the princess, and which had for him the effect of a stool of repentance.Mme.de Lorcy moved away, and he was left _tete-a-tete_ with Princess Gulof, who said to him, "I have been told that congratulations are due to you, and I must make them at once--although we are enemies." "By what right are we enemies, princess ?" he asked with a slightly troubled feeling, which quickly passed away as she answered: "I am a Russian and you are a Pole, but we shall have no time for fighting; I leave for London to-morrow morning at seven o'clock." He was on the point of casting himself at her feet and tenderly kissing her two hands, in testimony of his gratitude.