"To the advantage of Gouache's fiction, you would say. You were more complimentary a little while ago."
"You imagine more rudeness than even I am capable of inventing."
"That is saying much. Why did you change the subject just now?"
"Because I saw that you were annoyed at something. Besides, we were talking about myself, if I remember rightly."
"Have you never heard that a man should always talk to a woman about himself or herself?"
"No. I never heard that. Shall we talk of you, then, Madame?"
"Do you care to talk of me?" asked Maria Consuelo.
"I would rather hear you talk of yourself," he answered without the least hesitation.
"If I were to tell you my thoughts about myself at the present moment, they would surprise you very much."
"Ah--then what I am thinking would not interest you."
"Because if it is not flattering it would wound you, and if it is flattering it would disappoint you--by falling short of your ideal of yourself."
"Yet I confess that I would like to know what you think of me, though I would much rather hear what you think of yourself."
"That you will give me your word to give me your own opinion of me afterwards."
"The adjectives are ready, Madame, I give you my word."
"You give it so easily! How can I believe you?"
"It is so easy to give in such a case, when one has nothing disagreeable to say."
"And in all other respects exactly like all the women in society to whom you repeat the same commonplaces every day of your life?"
The feint had been dexterous and the thrust was sudden, straight and unexpected.
"Madame!" exclaimed Orsino in the deprecatory tone of a man taken by surprise.
"You see--you have nothing to say!" She laughed a little bitterly.
"You take too much for granted," he said, recovering himself. "You suppose that because I agree with you upon one point after another, I agree with you in the conclusion. You do not even wait to hear my answer, and you tell me that I am checkmated when I have a dozen moves from which to choose. Besides, you have directly infringed the conditions. You have fired before the signal and an arbitration would go against you. You have done fifty things contrary to agreement, and you accuse me of being dumb in my own defence. There is not much justice in that. You promise to tell me a certain secret on condition that I will tell you another. Then, without saying a word on your own part you stone me with quick questions and cry victory because I protest. You begin before I have had so much as--"