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350 350 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. out the fact that you don't mean to make love to her that you are so very civil to the little girl 1 " Lord Warburton gave a slight start; he got up and stood before the fire, blushing a little. " Does that strike you as very ridiculous ? " " Ridiculous? Not in the least, if you really like her." " I think her a delightful little person. I don't know when a girl of that age has pleased me more." " She's a charming creature. Ah, she at least is genuine." "Of course there's the difference in our ages more than twenty years." "My dear Warburton," said Ralph, "are you serious?" " Perfectly serious as far as I've got." " I am very glad. And, heaven help us," cried Ralph, " how tickled Gilbert Osmond will be ! " His companion frowned. " I say, don't spoil it. I shan't marry his daughter to please him." " He will have the perversity to be pleased all the same." " He's not so fond of me as that," said his lordship. "As that? My dear Warburton, the drawback of your position is that people needn't be fond of you at all to wish to be connected with you. Now, with me in such a case, I should have the happy confidence that they loved me." Lord Warburton seemed scarcely to be in the mood for doing justice to general axioms ; he was thinking of a special case. " Do you think she'll be pleased ? " " The girl herself ? Delighted, surely." " No, no ; I mean Mrs. Osmond." Ralph looked at him a moment. " My dear fellow, what has she to do with it ? " " Whatever she chooses. She is very fond of the girl." " Very true very true." And Ralph slowly got up. " It's an interesting question how far her fondness for the girl will carry her." He stood there a moment with his hands in his pockets, with a rather sombre eye. " I hope, you know, that you are very very sure The^leuce ! " he broke off, " I don't know how to say it." " Yes, you do ; you know how to say everything." " Well* it's awkward. I hope you are sure that among Miss Osmond's merits her being a so near her stepmother isn't a leading one 1 " " Good heavens, Touchett ! " cried Lord Warburton, angrily, " for what do you take me ? "