Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/424

416 416 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. conditions. Then he advanced, with his English address, in which a vague shyness seemed to offer itself as an element of good-breeding ; in which the only defect was a difficulty in achieving transitions Osmond was embarrassed; he found nothing to say; but Isabel remarked, promptly enough, that they had been in the act of talking about their visitor. Upon this her husband added that they hadn't known what was become of him they had been afraid he had gone away. " No" said Lord Warburton, smiling and looking at Osmond ; " I am only on the point of going. " And then he explained that he found himself suddenly recalled to England ; he should start on the morrow or next day. " I am awfully sorry to leave poor Touchett ! " he ended by exclaiming. For a moment neither of his companions spoke ; Osmond only leaned back in his chair, listening. Isabel didn't look at him ; she could only fancy how he looked. Her eyes were upon Lord Warburton's face, where they were the more free to rest that those of his lordship carefully avoided them. Yet Isabel was sure that had she met her visitor's glance, she should have found it expressive. " You had better take poor Touchett with you," she heard her husband say, lightly enough, in a moment. " He had better wait for warmer weather," Lord Warburton answered. " I shouldn't advise him to travel just now." He sat there for a quarter of an hour, talking as if he might not soon see them again unless indeed they should come to England, a course which he strongly recommended. Why shouldn't they come to England in the autumn 1 that struck him as a very happy thought. It would give him such pleasure to do what he could for them to have them come and spend a month with him. Osmond, by his own admission, had been to England but once ; which was an absurd state of ihings. It was just the country for him he would be sure to get on well there. Then Lord Warburton asked Isabel if she remembered what a good time she had there, and if she didn't want to try it again. Didn't she want to see Gardencourt once more? Gardencourt was really very good. Touchett didn't take proper care of it, but it was the sort of place you could hardly spoil by letting it alone. Why didn't they come and pay Touchett a visit 1 He surely must have asked them. Hadn't asked them 1 What an ill-mannered wretch ! and Lord Warburton promised to give the master of Gardencourt a piece of his mind. Of course it was a mere accident ; he would be delighted to have them. Spending a mouth with Touchett and a month with