Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/278

270 270 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. Osmond gave a smile a keen one, but not a laugh, for the tone of their conversation was not jocular. Isabel was almost tremulously serious; he had-seen her so before. " You have an imagination that startles one ! " "That is exactly what I say. You think such an idea absurd." " I would give my little finger to go to Japan ; it is one of the countries I want most to see. Can't you believe that, with my taste for old lacquer 1 " " I haven't a taste for old lacquer to excuse me," said Isabel. . " You have a better excuse the means of going. You are quite wrong in your theory that I laugh at you. I don't know what put it into your head." "It wouldn't be remarkable if you did think it ridiculous that I should -have the means to travel, when you have not ; for you know everything, and I know nothing." " The more reason why you should travel and learn," said Osmond, smiling. " Besides," he added, more gravely, " I don't know everything." Isabel was not struck with the oddity of his saying this gravely ; she was thinking that the pleasantest incident of her life so it pleased her to qualify her little visit to Eome was coming to an end. That most of the interest of this episode had been owing to Mr. Osmond this reflection she was not just now at pains to make ; she had already done the point abundant justice. But she said to herself that if there were a danger that they should not meet again, perhaps after all it would be as well. Happy things do npt repeat themselves, and these few days had been interfused with the element of success. She might come back to Italy and find him different this strange man who pleased her just as he was ; and it would be better not to come than run the risk of that. But if she was not to come, the greater was the pity that this happy week was over; for a moment she felt her heart throb with a kind of delicious pain. The sensation kept her silent, and Gilbert Osmond was silent too ; he was looking at her. " Go everywhere," he said at last, in a low, kind voice ; "do everything; get everything out of life. Be happy be triumphant." " What do you mean by being triumphant 1 " " Doing what you like." " To triumph, then, it seems to me, is to fail ! Doing what we like is often very tiresome." " Exactly," said Osmond, with his quick responsiveness.