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311 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 311 what I myself think of you ; I liked you from the first. I admire you so much that I think it will be a great good fortune to have you always before me. You will be my model ; I shall try to imitate you though I am afraid it will be very feeble. I am very glad for papa he needed something more than me. Without you, I don't see how he could have got it. You will be my stepmother ; but we must not use that word. You don't look at all like the word; it "is somehow so ugly. They are always said to be cruel ; but I think you will never be cruel. I am not afraid." " My good little Pansy," said Isabel, gently, " I shall be very kind to you." " Very well then ; I have nothing to fear," the child declared, lightly. Her description of her aunt had not been incorrect; the Countess Gemini was less than ever in a state of repose. She entered the room with a great deal of expression, and kissed Isabel, first on her lips, and then on each cheek, in the short, quick manner of a bird drinking. She made Isabel sit down on the sofa beside her, and looking at our heroine with a variety of turns of the head, delivered herself of a hundred remarks, from which I offer the reader but a brief selection. "If you expect me to congratulate you, I must beg you to excuse me. I don't suppose you care whether I do or not ; I believe you are very proud. But I care myself whether I tell fibs or not ; I never tell them unless there is something to be gained. I don't see what there is to be gained with you especially as you would not believe me. I 'don't make phrases I never made a phrase in my life. My fibs are always very crude. I am very glad, for my own sake, that you are going to marry Osmond ; but I won't pretend I am glad for yours. You are very remarkable you know that's what people call you ; you are an heiress, and very good-looking and clever, very original ; so it's a good thing to have you in the family. Our family is very good, you know ; Osmond will have told you that ; and my mother was rather distinguished she was called the American Corinne. But we are rather fallen, I think, and perhaps you will pick us up. I have great confidence in you ; there are ever so many things I want to talk to you about. I never congratu- late any girl on marrying ; I think it's the worst thing she can do. I suppose Pansy oughtn't to hear all this ; but that's what she has come to me for to acquire the tone of society. There is no harm in her knowing that it isn't such a blessing to get married. When first I got an idea that my brother had designs