low undertone of his voice made his protestations sound very pathetic.
For a moment he shamed me, but, my diplomacy notwithstanding, I seemed
to develop a conscience, as if in very truth it were in my power to
decide the success of this matrimonial enterprise. By pretending hard
enough we come to believe anything--anything to our advantage. And I had
been pretending very hard, because I meant yet to be towed safely down
the river. But through conscience or stupidity, I couldn't help alluding
to the Vanlo affair. "You acted rather badly there. Didn't you?" was
what I ventured actually to say--for the logic of our conduct is always
at the mercy of obscure and unforeseen impulses.

His dilated pupils swerved from my face, glancing at the window with
a sort of scared fury. We heard behind the blinds the continuous
and sudden clicking of ivory, a jovial murmur of many voices, and
Schomberg's deep manly laugh.

"That confounded old woman of a hotel-keeper then would never, never let
it rest!" Falk exclaimed. "Well, yes! It had happened two years ago."
When it came to the point he owned he couldn't make up his mind to trust
Fred Vanlo--no sailor, a bit of a fool too. He could not trust him,
but, to stop his row, he had lent him enough money to pay all his debts
before he left. I was greatly surprised to hear this. Then Falk could
not be such a miser after all. So much the better for the girl. For a
time he sat silent; then he picked up a card, and while looking at it he
said:

"You need not think of anything bad. It was an accident. I've been
unfortunate once."

"Then in heaven's name say nothing about it."