Hismethodofrecommendinghimselftomeisentirelydifferent。
HeflattersmyvanitybytalkingtomeasseriouslyandsensiblyasifIwasaman。Yes！IcanfindhimoutwhenIamawayfromhim——Iknowheflattersmyvanity，whenIthinkofhimuphereinmyownroom——andyet，whenIgodownstairs，andgetintohiscompanyagain，hewillblindmeagain，andIshallbeflatteredagain，justasifIhadneverfoundhimoutatall！HecanmanagemeashemanageshiswifeandLaura，ashemanagedthebloodhoundinthestable-yard，ashemanagesSirPercivalhimself，everyhourintheday。`MygoodPercival！howIlikeyourroughEnglishhumour！’——`MygoodPercival！howIenjoyyoursolidEnglishsense！’HeputstherudestremarksSirPercivalcanmakeonhiseffeminatetastesandamusementsquietlyawayfromhiminthatmanner——alwayscallingthebaronetbyhisChristianname，smilingathimwiththecalmestsuperiority，pattinghimontheshoulder，andbearingwithhimbenignantly，asagood-humouredfatherbearswithawaywardson。
TheinterestwhichIreallycannothelpfeelinginthisstrangelyoriginalmanhasledmetoquestionSirPercivalabouthispastlife。
SirPercivaleitherknowslittle，orwilltellmelittle，aboutit。
HeandtheCountfirstmetmanyyearsago，atRome，underthedangerouscircumstancestowhichIhavealludedelsewhere。SincethattimetheyhavebeenperpetuallytogetherinLondon，inParis，andinVienna——butneverinItalyagain；theCounthaving，oddlyenough，notcrossedthefrontiersofhisnativecountryforyearspast。Perhapshehasbeenmadethevictimofsomepoliticalpersecution？Atallevents，heseemstobepatrioticallyanxiousnottolosesightofanyofhisowncountrymenwhomayhappentobeinEngland。Ontheeveningofhisarrivalheaskedhowfarwewerefromthenearesttown，andwhetherweknewofanyItaliangentlemenwhomighthappentobesettledthere。HeiscertainlyincorrespondencewithpeopleontheContinent，forhislettershaveallsortsofoddstampsonthem，andIsawoneforhimthismorning，waitinginhisplaceatthebreakfast-table，withahuge，official-lookingsealonit。Perhapsheisincorrespondencewithhisgovernment？Andyet，thatishardlytobereconciledeitherwithmyotherideathathemaybeapoliticalexile。