Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/355

347 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY 47 She spent an hour with him ; it was the first of several visits. Gilbert Osmond called on him punctually, and on Isabel sending a carriage for him Ealph came more than once to the Palazzo Eoccanera. A fortnight elapsed, at the end of which Ralph announced to Lord Warburton that he thought after all he wouldn't go to Sicily. The two men had been dining together after a day spent by the latter in ranging about the Campagna. They had left the table, and Warburton, before the chimney, was lighting a cigar, which he instantly removed from his lips. " Won't go to Sicily 3 Where then will you go '] " " Well, I guess I won't go anywhere," said Ralph, from the sofa, in a tone of jocosity. " Do you mean that you will return to England 1 " " Oh dear no ; I will stay in Rome." " Rome won't do for you ; it's not warm enough." " It will have to do ; I will make it do. See how well I have been." Lord Warburton looked at him a while, puffing his cigar, as if he were trying to see it. " You have been better than you were on the journey, certainly. I wonder how you lived through that. But I don't understand your condition. I recommend you to try Sicily." " I can't try," said poor Ralph ; " I can't move further. I can't face that journey. Fancy me between Scylla and Charyb- dis ! I don't want to die on the Sicilian plains to be snatched away, like Proserpine in the same locality, to the Plutonian shades." "What the deuce then did you come for]" his lordship inquired. " Because the idea took me. I see it won't do. It really doesn't matter where I am now. I've exhausted all remedies, I've swallowed all climates. As I'm here I'll stay ; I haven't got any cousins in Sicily." "Your cousin is certainly an inducement. But what does the doctor say 1 " " I haven't asked him, and I don't care a fig. If I die here Mrs. Osmond will bury me. But I shall not die here." "I hope not." Lord Warburton continued to smoke reflect- ively. " Well, I must say," he resumed, " for myself I am very glad you don't go to Sicily. I had a horror of that journey." "Ah, but for you it needn't have mattered. I had no idea of dragging you in my train." " I certainly didii't mean to let you go alone."