He looked hard at Newman, and Newman looked at him.

"Madame de Cintre," the younger man repeated, as an introduction of the visitor.

The other took the card from his hand, read it in a rapid glance, looked again at Newman from head to foot, hesitated a moment, and then said, gravely but urbanely, "Madame de Cintre is not at home." The younger man made a gesture, and then, turning to Newman, "I am very sorry, sir," he said.
Newman gave him a friendly nod, to show that he bore him no malice, and retraced his steps.

At the porter's lodge he stopped; the two men were still standing on the portico.
"Who is the gentleman with the dog ?" he asked of the old woman who reappeared.

He had begun to learn French.
"That is Monsieur le Comte." "And the other ?" "That is Monsieur le Marquis." "A marquis ?" said Christopher in English, which the old woman fortunately did not understand.