Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/47

39 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 38 " Is there never any one here but your father and you ? " " My mother, of course.'" " Oli, I know your mother ; she is not romantic. Haven't you other people 1 " " Very few." " I am sorry for that ; > like so much to see people." " Oh, we will invite all the county to amuse you," said Ealph. " TsTow you are making fun of me," the girl answered, rather gravely. " Who was the gentleman that was on the lawn when I arrived 1 " " A county neighbour ; he doesn't come very often." " I am sorry for that ; I liked him," said Isabel. " Why, it seemed to me that you barely spoke to him," Ealph objected. " Never mind, I like him all the same. I like your father, too, immensely." " You can't do better than that ; he is a dear old man." " I am so sorry he is ill," said Isabel. " You must help me to nurse him; you ought to be a good nurse." " I don't think I am ; I have been told I am not ; I am said to be too theoretic. But you haven't told me about the ghost," she added. Ealph, however, gave no heed to this observation. " You like my father, and you like Lord Warburton. I infer also that you like my mother." " I like your mother very much, because because " And Isabel found herself attempting to assign a reason for her affection for Mrs. Touchett. u Ah, we never know why ! " said her companion, laughing. " I always know why," the girl answered. " It's because she doesn't ax^ect one to like her ; she doesn't care whether one does or not. ' " So you adore her, out of perversity*? Well, I take greatly after my mother," said Ealph. " I don't believe you do at all. You wish people to like you, and you try to make them do it." " Good heavens, how you see through one ! " cried Ealph, with a dismay that was not altogether jocular. "But I like you all the same," his cousin went on. "The way to clinch the matter will be to show me the ghost." Ealph shook his head sadly. " I might show it to you, but you would never see it. The privilege isn't given to every one ;