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333 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 333 Mrs. Osmond's face, though it wore a smile, was, like her old friend's, not perfectly confident. " I am very happy to see Lord Warburton," she said. Eosier turned away, and now that his talk with her had been interrupted, felt absolved from tLe little pledge he had just taken. He had a ^uick impression that Mrs. Osmond would not notice what he did. To do him justice, Isabel for some time quite ceased to observe him. She had been startled ; she hardly knew whether she were glad or ntt. Lord Warburton, however, now that he was face to face with her, was plainly very well pleased ; his frank grey eye expressed a deep, if still somewhat shy, satisfaction. He was larger, stouter than of yore, and he looked older; he stood there very solidly and sensibly. " I suppose you didn't expect to see me," he said ; " I have only just arrived. Literally, I only got here this evening. You see 1 have lost no time in coming to pay you my respects ; I knew you were at home on Thursdays." " You see the fame of your Thursdays has spread to England," Osmond remarked, smiling, to his wife. " It is very kind of Lord Warburton to come so soon ; we are greatly flattered," Isabel said. " Ah well, it's better than stopping in one of those horrible inns," Osmond went on. " The hotel seems very good ; I think it is the same one where I saw you four years ago. You know it was here in Rome that we first met ; it is a long time ago. Do you remember where I bade you good-bye 1 It was in the Capitol, in the first room." "I remember that myself," said Osmond; " I was there at the time." " Yes, I remember that you were there. I was very sorry to leave Rome so sorry that, somehow or other, it became a melancholy sort of memory, and I have never cared to corne back till to-day. But I knew you were living here, and I assure you I have often thought of you. It must be a charming place to live in," said Lord Warburton, brightly, looking about him. " We should have been glad to see you at any time," Osmond remarked with propriety. " Thank you very much. I haven't been out of England since then. Till a month ago, I really supposed my travels were over." "I have heard of you from time to time," said Isabel, who had now completely recovered her self-possession. " I hope you have heard no harm. My life has been a blank."