If the Vicomte gave us to understand presently that Rosey
and her mother were both in love with him, but that for all the world he
would not meddle with the happiness of his dear little Clive, nothing
unfavourable to the character or constancy of the before-mentioned ladies
must be inferred from M. de Florac's speech; his firm conviction being,
that no woman could pass many hours in his society without danger to her
subsequent peace of mind.
For some little time we had no reason to suspect that our French friend
was not particularly well furnished with the current coin of the realm.
Without making any show of wealth, he would, at first, cheerfully engage
in our little parties: his lodgings in the neighbourhood of Leicester
Square, though dingy, were such as many noble foreign exiles have
inhabited. It was not until he refused to join some pleasure-trip which
we of Lamb Court proposed, honestly confessing his poverty, that we were
made aware of the Vicomte's little temporary calamity; and, as we became
more intimate with him, he acquainted us, with great openness, with the
history of all his fortunes.
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