Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/369

361 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 361 Isabel smiled a little. " I suppose he will know in time ; Lord Warburton has a tongue, and knows how to express himself." Madame Merle instantly became conscious that she had spoken more quickly than usual, and the reflection brought the colour to her cheek. She gave the treacherous impulse time to subside, and then she said, as if she had been thinking it over a little : " That would be better than marrying poor Mr. Eosier. " " Much better, I think." " It would be very delightful ; it would be a great marriage. It is really very kind of him." Very kind of him 1 " " To drop his eyes on a simple little girl." "I don't see that." " It's very good of you. But after all, Pansy Osmond " "After all, Pansy Osmond is the most attractive person he has ever known ! " Isabel exclaimed. Madame Merle stared, and indeed she was justly bewildered. " Ah, a moment ago, I thought you seemed rather to disparage her." " I said she was limited. And so she is. And so is Lord Warburton." " So are we all, if you come to that. If it's no more than Pansy deserves, all the better. But if she fixes her affections on Mr. Rosier, I won't admit that she deserves it. That will be too perverse." " Mr. Rosier' s a nuisance ! " cried Isabel, abruptly. "I quite agree with you. and I am delighted to know that I am not expected to feed his flame. For the future, when he calls on me, my door shall be closed to him." And gathering her mantle together, Madame Merle prepared to depart. She was checked, however, on her progress to the door, by an incon- sequent request from Isabel. " All the same, you know, be kind to him." She lifted her shoulders and eyebrows, and stood looking at her friend. " I don't understand your contradictions ! De- cidedly, I shall not be kind to him, for it will be a false kind- ness. I wish to see her married to Lord Warburton." " You had better wait till he asks her." " If what you say is true, he will ask her. Especially," said Madame Merle in a moment, " if you make him." " If I make him 1 " " It's quite in your power. You have great influence with him."