Why had she driven away one visitor and denied herself to another if not for my sake?

Perhaps for the sake of a third party who had already arrived? When she came out of her boudoir she seemed to me to be signalling with her eyebrows at some one.

I quickly pulled myself together. I fancy I must have been very red in the face, and I certainly had good reason to be ashamed of myself.

I saw that I had not been able to reap laurels in the rôle of Don Juan, so I began to take up the part of Tartuffe. Let us play the righteous judge!

"Perhaps I have not come at a very convenient time?"

"On the contrary, I asked you to come at this time."

"On a serious business, eh?"

"A serious business for me."

"But isn't what I've just been saying to you serious?"

"Apparently."