How often had his credit with a duchess, built up of the yearly accumulation of her desire to do him some favour for which she had never found an opportunity, been squandered in a moment by his calling upon her, in an indiscreetly worded message, for a recommendation by telegraph which would put him in touch at once with one of her agents whose daughter he had noticed in the country, just as a starving man might barter a diamond for a crust of bread.
Zenbat aldiz agortu zuen, horratik, dukesa baten aurrean zeukàn kreditua, dukesa horrek urtetan barrena berari atsegingarri gertatu nahiaren desira asegabetik metatua zuena, zergatik-eta, bat-batean, Swannek ohar zabar baten bidez gomendio telegrafiko bat eskatzen ziolako, harremanetan jar zezan berehala, arren, norekin-eta, dukesaren baserri bateko maizter zèn norbaitekin, zeinaren alaba begiz joa baitzuen noizbait landetan, hots, ogi-koxkorraren ordainetan diamantea emango lukeen gosekilaren gisa.