Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/216

208 208 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. " That's just what I wanted to do," Pansy exclaimed, rising with promptness and noiselessly departing. Her father followed her to the open door, stood a moment watching her, and then came back, but remained standing, or rather strolling to and fro, as if to cultivate a sense of freedom which in another atti- tude might be wanting. " My ambitions are principally for you," said Madame Merle, looking up at him with a certain nobleness of expression. " That comes back to what I say. I am part of your life I and a thousand others. You are not selfish I can't admit that. If you were selfish, what should I be 1 What epithet would properly describe me 1 " " You are indolent. For me that is your worst fault." " I am afraid it is really my best." " You don't care," said Madame Merle, gravely. " No ; I don't think I care much. What sort of a fault do you call that? My indolence, at any rate, was one of the reasons I didn't go to Rome. But it was only one of them." "It is not of importance to me at least that you didn't go ; though I should have been glad to see you. I am glad that you are not in Rome now which you might be, would probably be, if you had gone there a month ago. There is something I should like you to do at present in Florence." " Please remember my indolence," said Osmond. " I will remember it ; but I beg you to forget it. In that way you will have both the virtue and the reward. This is not a great labour, and it may prove a great pleasure. How long is it since you made a new acquaintance 1 " " I don't think I have made any since I made yours." " It is time you should make another, then. There is a friend of mine I want you to know." Mr. Osmond, in his walk, had gone back to the open door again, and was looking at his daughter, as she moved about in the intense sunshine. " What good will it do me 1 " he asked, with a sort of genial crudity. Madame Merle reflected a moment. " It will amuse you." There was nothing crude in this rejoinder ; it had been thoroughly well considered. " If you say that, I believe it," said Osmond, coming toward her. " There are some points in which my confidence in you is complete. I am perfectly aware, for instance, that you know good society from bad." " Society is all bad." " Excuse me. That isn't a common sort of wisdom. You have