Hyacinth had looked away, in tacit deprecation, at hearing himself 'paired' with the Princess, and he felt that she was watching him. 'What do you think of Captain Sholto?' she went on, suddenly, to his surprise, if anything, in his position, could excite that sentiment more than anything else; and as he hesitated, not knowing what to say, she added, 'Isn't he a very curious type?'
'I know him very little,' Hyacinth replied; and he had no sooner uttered the words than it struck him they were far from brilliant—they were poor and flat, and very little calculated to satisfy the Princess. Indeed, he reflected that he had said nothing at all that could place him in a favourable light; so he continued, at a venture: 'I mean I have never seen him at home.' That sounded still more silly.
'At home? Oh, he is never at home; he is all over the world. To-night he was as likely to have been in Paraguay, for instance, as here. He is what they call a cosmopolite. I don't know whether you know that species; very modern, more and more frequent, and exceedingly tiresome. I prefer the Chinese! He had told me he had had a great deal of interesting talk with you. That was what made me say to him, "Oh, do ask him to come in and see me. A little interesting talk, that would be a change!"'
'She is very complimentary to me!' said Madame Grandoni.
'Ah, my dear, you and I, you know, we never talk: we understand each other without that!' Then the Princess pursued, addressing herself to Hyacinth, 'Do you never admit women?'
