"He played a bit in the City, and won at first, and that swelled his head worse than ever. It also brought him a good deal of sympathy from an Italian Countess, the sort you find at Homburg, and that generally speaking is a widow. Her chief sorrow was for society--that in him was losing an ornament. She explained to him how an accomplished and experienced woman could help a man to gain admittance into the tiptop circles, which, according to her, were just thirsting for him. As a waiter, he had his share of brains, and it's a business that requires more insight than perhaps you'd fancy, if you don't want to waste your time on a rabbit-skin coat and a paste ring, and give the burnt sole to the real gent. But in the hands of this swell mob he was, of course, just the young man from the country; and the end of it was that he played the game down pretty low. "She--not the Countess, I shouldn't like you to have that idea, but his wife--came to be pretty friendly with my missus later on, and that's how I got to know the details. He comes to her one day looking pretty sheepish-like, as one can well believe, and maybe he'd been drinking a bit to give himself courage. "'We ain't been getting along too well together of late, have we, Susan?' says he. "'We ain't seen much of one another,' she answers; 'but I agree with you, we don't seem to enjoy it much when we do.' "'It ain't your fault,' says he. "'I'm glad you think that,' she answers; 'it shows me you ain't quite as foolish as I was beginning to think you.' "'Of course, I didn't know when I married you,' he goes on, 'as I was going to come into this money.' "'No, nor I either,' says she, 'or you bet it wouldn't have happened.' "'It seems to have been a bit of a mistake,' says he, 'as things have turned out.' "'It would have been a mistake, and more than a bit of a one in any case,' answers she. "'I'm glad you agree with me,' says he; 'there'll be no need to quarrel.' "'I've always tried to agree with you,' says she. 'We've never quarrelled yet, and that ought to be sufficient proof to you that we never shall.' "'It's a mistake that can be rectified,' says he, 'if you are sensible, and that without any harm to anyone.' "'Oh!' says she, 'it must be a new sort of mistake, that kind.' "'We're not fitted for one another,' says he. "'Out with it,' says she. 'Don't you be afraid of my feelings; they are well under control, as I think I can fairly say by this time.' "'With a man in your own station of life,' says he, 'you'd be happier.' "'There's many a man I might have been happier with,' replies she. 'That ain't the thing to be discussed, seeing as I've got you.' "'You might get rid of me,' says he. "'You mean you might get rid of me,' she answers. "'It comes to the same thing,' he says.