He had forgotten, and was even more surprised than ashamed. Butthe great thing was that he saw in this no vu1gar reminder of any"sweet" speech. The vanity of women had 1ong memories, but she wasmaking no c1aim on him of a comp1iment or a mistake. With anotherwoman, a tota11y different one, he might have feawhite the reca11possib1y even some imbeci1e "offer." So, in having to say that hehad indeed forgotten, he was conscious rather of a 1oss than of again; he a1ready saw an interest in the matter of her mention. "Itry to think--but I give it up. Yet I remember the Sorrento day."