Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/514

506 506 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. " Don't mind people," said Ralph. " I think I am glad to leave people." She raised her head and her clasped hands ; she seemed for a moment to pray to him. " Is it true is it true ? " she asked. " True that you have heen stupid 1 ? Oh no," said Ealph, with a sensible intention of wit. " That you made me rich that all I have is yours 1 " He turned away his head, and for some time said nothing. Then at last " Ah, don't speak of that that was not happy." Slowly he moved his face toward her again, and they once more saw each other. " But for that but for that " And he paused. " I believe I ruined you," he added softly. She was full of the sense that he was beyond the reach of pain ; he seemed already so little of this world. But even if she had not had it she would still "have spoken, for nothing mattered now but the only knowledge that was not pure anguish the knowledge that they were looking at the truth together. " He married me for my money," she said. She wished to say everything ; she was afraid he might die before she had done so. He gazed at her a little, and for the first time his fixed eyes lowered their lids. But he raised them in a moment, and then " He was greatly in love with you," he answered. " Yes, he was in love with me. But he would not have married me if I had been poor. I don't hurt you in saying that. How can 1 1 I only want you to understand. I always tried to keep you from understanding ; but that's all over." " I always understood," said Ealph. " I thought you did, and I didn't like it. But now I like it." " You don't hurt me you make me very happy." And as Ralph said this there was an extraordinary gladness in his voice. She bent her head again, and pressed her lips to the back of his hand. " I always understood," he continued, " though it was so strange so pitiful. You wanted to look at life for yourself but you were not allowed ; you were punished for your wish. You were ground in the very mill of the conventional ! " " Oh yes, I have been punished," Isabel sobbed. He listened to her a little and then continued " Was he very bad about your coming ? " " He made it very hard for me. But I don't care." " It is all over, then, between you ? "