Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/91

83 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 83 "No, he told me nothing; that's how I knew it," said Henrietta, cleverly. " He said very little about you, but I spoke of you a good deal." Isabel was silent a moment. At the mention of Mr. Good- wood's name she had coloured a little, and now her blush was slowly fading. " I am very sorry you did that," she observed at last. " It was a pleasure to me, and I liked the way he listened. I could have talked a long time to such a listener ; he was so quiet, so intense ; he drank it all in." " What did you say about me 1 " Isabel asked. " I am very sorry for that. He thinks too well of me already ; he ought not to be encouraged." " He is dying for a little encouragement. I see his face now, and his earnest, absorbed look, while I talked. I never saw an ugly man look so handsome ! " " He is very simple-minded," said Isabel. " And he is not so ugly." " There is nothing so simple as a great passion." " It is not a great passion ; I am very sure it is not that." " You don't say that as if you were sure." Isabel gave rather a cold smile. " I shall say it better to Mr. Goodwood himself ! " " He will soon give you a chance," said Henrietta. Isabel offered no answer to this assertion, which her com- panion made with an air of gre.at confidence. " He will find you changed," the latter pursued. " You have been affected by your new surroundings." " Very likely. I am affected by everything." " By everything but Mr. Goodwood ! " Miss Stackpole ex- claimed, with a laugh. Isabel failed even to smile in reply ; and in a moment she said " Did he ask you to speak to me I " "Not in so many words. But his eyes asked it and his handshake, when he bade me good-bye." " Thank you for doing so." And Isabel turned away. "Yes, you are changed ; you have got new ideas over here," her friend continued. " I hope so," said Isabel ; " one should get as many new ideas " Yes ; but they shouldn't interfere with the old ones." Isabel turned about again. " If you mean that I had any G 2
 * ' I said you were on the whole the finest creature I know."
 * s possible."