Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/29

21 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. zl " I think you must be." And in this way the aunt and the niece made friends. The aunt had quarrelled, years before, with her brother-in-law, after the d^ath of her sister, taking him to task for the manner in which he brought up his three girls. Being a high-tempered man, he had requested her to mind her own business; and she had taken him at his word. For many years she held no communication with him, and after his death she addressed not a word to his daughters, who had been bred in that disrespectful view of her which we have just seen Isabel betray. Mrs. Touchett's behaviour was, as usual, perfectly deliberate. She intended to go to America to look after her investments (with which her husband, in spite of his great financial position, had nothing to do), and would take advantage of this opportunity to inquire into the condition of her nieces. There was no need of writing, for she should attach no import- ance to any account of them that she should elicit by letter ; she believed, always, in seeing for one's self. Isabel found, however, that she knew a good deal about them, and knew about the marriage of the two elder girls ; knew that their poor father had left very little money, but that the house in Albany, which had passed into his hands, was to be sold for their benefit; ^new, finally, that Edmund Ludlow, Lilian's husband, 1 1 ad taken upon himself to attend to this matter, in consideration of which the young couple, who had come to Albany Curing Mr. Archer's illness, were remaining there for the present, and, as well as Isabel herself, occupying the mansion. "How much money do you expect to get for it?" Mrs. Touchett asked of the girl, who had brought her to sit in the front-parlour, which she had inspected without enthusiasm. ' I haven't the least idea," said the girl. ' That's the second time you have said that to me," her aunt rejoined. * And yet you don't look at all stupid." ' I am not stupid : but I don't know anything about money." ' Yes, that's the way you were brought up as if you were to inherit a million. In point of fact, what have you in- herited ? " " I really can't tell you. You must ask Edmund and Lilian ; they will be back in half-an-hour." "In Florence we should call it a very bad house," said Mrs. Touchett ; " but here, I suspect, it will bring a high price. It ought to make a considerable sum for each of you. In addition to that, you must have something else ; it's most extraordinary your not knowing. The position is of value, and they will probably pull it down and make a row of shops. I wonder