\"Ah, Monsieur, after I had seen her, after I had listened to her, I knew she was better off here.\"
\"You knew—?\"
\"Monsieur, I discharged my mission faithfully: I put the Count's arguments, I stated his offers, without adding any comment of my own. The Countess was good enough to listen patiently; she carried her goodness so far as to see me twice; she considered impartially all I had come to say. And it was in the course of these two talks that I changed my mind,
\"Ah, Monsieur, after I had seen her, after I had listened to her, I knew she was better off here.\"
\"You knew—?\"
\"Monsieur, I discharged my mission faithfully: I put the Count's arguments, I stated his offers, without adding any comment of my own. The Countess was good enough to listen patiently; she carried her goodness so far as to see me twice; she considered impartially all I had come to say. And it was in the course of these two talks that I changed my mind,
