Page:The Golden Bowl (Scribner, New York, 1909), Volume 1.djvu/68

THE GOLDEN BOWL with an interest too great for his gaiety. "You think then I've a share in it? What is my share?"

"Why any you like—the one you seemed just now eager to take. It was you yourself who insisted."

He looked at her on this with conscious inconsistency, and she could now see that he had changed colour. But he was always easy. "I didn't know then what the matter was."

"You didn't think it could be so bad?"

"Do you call it very bad?" the young man asked.

"Only," she smiled, "because that's the way it seems to affect you."

He hesitated, still with the trace of his quickened colour, still looking at her, still adjusting his manner. "But you allowed you were upset."

"To the extent—yes—of not having in the least looked for her. Any more," said Mrs. Assingham, "than I judge Maggie to have done."

The Prince thought; then as if glad to be able to say something very natural and true: "No—quite right. Maggie hasn't looked for her. But I'm sure," he added, "she'll be delighted to see her."

"That certainly"—and his hostess spoke with a different shade of gravity.

"She'll be quite overjoyed," the Prince went on. "Has Miss Stant now gone to her?"

"She has gone back to her hotel, to bring her things here. I can't have her," said Mrs. Assingham, "alone at an hotel."

"No; I see."

"If she's here at all she must stay with me."

He quite took it in. "So she's coming now?" 38