"Never mind. If I am not mistaken, the General has succeeded in
borrowing money of the Marquis."

"It may be so."

"Is it likely that the Marquis would have lent the money if he
had not known something or other about your grandmother? Did you
notice, too, that three times during luncheon, when speaking of
her, he called her 'La Baboulenka'? [Dear little Grandmother].
What loving, friendly behaviour, to be sure!"

"Yes, that is true. As soon as ever he learnt that I was likely
to inherit something from her he began to pay me his addresses.
I thought you ought to know that."

"Then he has only just begun his courting? Why, I thought he
had been doing so a long while!"

"You KNOW he has not," retorted Polina angrily. "But where on
earth did you pick up this Englishman?" She said this after a pause.

"I KNEW you would ask about him!" Whereupon I told her of my
previous encounters with Astley while travelling.

"He is very shy," I said, "and susceptible. Also, he is in
love with you.--"

"Yes, he is in love with me," she replied.

"And he is ten times richer than the Frenchman. In fact, what