Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 1.djvu/161

 struck Pinnie as having thought it all out; which did not surprise her, as she had been familiar, from his youth, with his way of following things up. But she was always delighted when he made a remark which showed he was conscious of being of fine clay—flashed out an allusion to his not being what he seemed. He was not what he seemed, but even with Pinnie's valuable assistance he had not succeeded in representing to himself, very definitely, what he was. She had placed at his disposal, for this purpose, a passionate idealism which, employed in some case where it could have consequences, might have been termed profligate, and which never cost her a scruple or a compunction.

'I'm sure a princess might look at you and be none the worse!' she declared, in her delight at this assurance, more positive than any she had yet received, that he was safe from the worst danger. This the dressmaker considered to be the chance of his marrying some person like herself. Still it came over her that his taste might be lowered, and before the subject was dropped, on this occasion, she said to him that of course he must be quite aware of all that was wanting to such a girl as Millicent Henning—she pronounced her name at last.

'Oh, I don't bother about what's wanting to her; I'm content with what she has.'

'Content, dearest—how do you mean?' the little dressmaker quavered. 'Content to make an intimate friend of her?'

'It is impossible I should discuss these matters with you,' Hyacinth replied, grandly.

'Of course I see that. But I should think she