Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 1 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/215

 after mature reflection, that, on the whole, you yourself add something to your fortune. Mr. Hudson of course is nowhere; he has nothing but his genius and his extraordinary beaux yeux."

Roderick had stood looking at Christina intently while she delivered herself, softly and slowly, of this surprising nonsense. When she had finished she turned and confronted him; their eyes met and he blushed a little. "Let me be your modeller, and he who can may be your husband!" he said abruptly.

Mrs. Light, while her daughter talked, had been adding a few touches to the arrangement of her hair.

"She 's neither so silly nor so vicious as you might suppose," she said to Rowland with dignity. "If you 'll give me your arm we 'll go and look at the bust."

"Does that most represent silliness or vice — unless they come to the same thing?" Christina demanded when they stood before it. Rowland transferred his glance several times from the portrait to the original. "It represents a young lady whom I should n't pretend to judge off-hand."

"She may be a fool, but you 're not sure. Many thanks! You 've seen me half a dozen times. You 're either very slow or I 'm very deep."

"I'm certainly slow," said Rowland. "I don't expect to make up my mind about you in less than six months."

"I give you six months if you 'll promise then a perfectly frank opinion. Mind, I shall not forget; I shall insist upon a judgement."

"Well, though I'm slow I'm tolerably judging," 181