Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/189

181 THE POETEAIT OF A LADY. 181 either with the view somewhat superficial perhaps that we have hitherto enjoyed of Madame Merle's character, or with the literal facts of Mrs. Touchett's history ; the more so, too, as Madame Merle had a well-founded conviction that her friend's last remark was not in the least to be construed .a* a side-thrust at herself. The truth is, that the moment she had crossed the threshold she received a subtle impression that Mr. Touchett's death had had consequences, and that these consequences had been profitable to a little circle of persons among whom she was not numbered. Of course it was an event which would naturally have consequences; her imagination had more than once rested upon this fact during her stay at Gardencourt. But it had been one thing to foresee it mentally, and it was another to behold it actually. The idea of a distribution of property she would almost have said of spoils just now pressed upon her senses and irritated her with a sense of exclusion. I am far from wishing to say that Madame Merle was one of the hungry ones of the world ; but we have already perceived that she had desires which had never been satisfied. If she had been questioned, she would of course have admitted with a most becoming smile that she had not the faintest claim to a share in Mr. Touchett's relics. " There was never anything in the world between us," she would have said. "There was never that, poor man ! " with a fillip of her thumb and her third finger. I hasten to add, moreover, that if her private attitude at the present moment was somewhat incongruously invidious, she was very careful not to betray herself. She had, after all, as much sympathy for Mrs. Touchett's gains as for her losses. " He has left me this house," the newly-made widow said ; " but of course I shall not live in it ; I have a much better house in Florence. The will was opened only three days since, but I have already offered the house for sale. I have also a share in the bank ; but I don't yet understand whether I am obliged to leave it there. If not, I shall certainly take it out. Ralph, of course, has Gardencourt ; but I am not sure that he will have means to keep up the place. He is of course left very well off, but his father has given away an immense deal of money ; there are bequests to a string of third cousins in Ver- mont. Ralph, however, is very fond of Gardencourt, and would be quite capable of living there in summer with a maid-of- all-work and a gardener's boy. There is one remarkable clause in my husband's will," Mrs. Touchett added. "He has left my niece a fortune." " A fortune ! " Madame Merle repeated, softly.