Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/214

206 206 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. " Are you fond of pretty things ? " "Yes ; but but not too fond," said Pansy, with a trace of asceticism. " Well, they will not be too pretty," Madame Merle answered, with a laugh. She took the child's other hand, and drew her nearer ; and then, looking at her a moment " Shall you miss mother Catherine 2 " " Yes when I think of her." " Try, then, not to think of her. Perhaps some day," added Madame Merle, " you will have another mother." "I don't think that is necessary," Pansy said, repeating her little soft, conciliatory sigh. " I had more than thirty mothers at the convent." Her father's step sounded again in the ante-chamber, and Madame Merle got up, releasing the child. Mr. Osmond came in and closed the door ; then, without looking at Madame Merle, he pushed one or two chairs back into their places. His visitor waited a moment for him to speak, watching him as he moved about. Then at last she said " I hoped you would have come to Rome. I thought it possible you would have come to fetch Pansy away." " That was a natural supposition ; but I am afraid it is not the first time I have acted in defiance of your calculations." " Yes," said Madame Merle, " I think you are very perverse." Mr. Osmond busied himself for a moment in the room there was plenty of space in it to move about in the fashion of a man mechanically seeking pretexts for not giving an attention which may be embarrassing. Presently, however, he had ex- hausted his pretexts ; there was nothing left for him unless he took up a book but to stand with his hands behind him, looking at Pansy. " Why didn't you come and bee the last of rnamman Catherine 1 " he asked of her abruptly, in French. Pansy hesitated a moment, glancing at Madame Merle. " I asked her to stay with me," said this lady, who had seated herself again in another place. "Ah, that was better," said Osmond. Then, at last, he dropped into a chair, and sat looking at Madame Merle ; leaning forward a little, with his elbows on the edge of the arms and his hands interlocked. " She is going to give me some gloves," said Pansy. " You needn't tell that to every one, my dear," Madame Merle observed. " You are very kind to her," said Osmond. " She is sup- posed to have everything she needs."