Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 2.djvu/19

 His companion perceived that he had more to say to her, to extract from her, but that he was hesitating nervously, because he feared to incur some warning, some rebuff, with which his dignity—which, in spite of his position of discomfiture, was really very great—might find it difficult to square itself. He looked vaguely round the room, and presently he remarked, 'I wanted to see for myself how she is living.'

'Yes, that is very natural.'

'I have heard—I have heard' And Prince Casamassima stopped.

'You have heard great rubbish, I have no doubt.' Madame Grandoni watched him, as if she foresaw what was coming.

'She spends a terrible deal of money,' said the young man.

'Indeed she does.' The old lady knew that, careful as he was of his very considerable property, which at one time had required much nursing, his wife's prodigality was not what lay heaviest on his mind. She also knew that expensive and luxurious as Christina might be she had never yet exceeded the income settled upon her by the Prince at the time of their separation—an income determined wholly by himself and his estimate of what was required to maintain the social consequence of his name, for which he had a boundless reverence. 'She thinks she is a model of thrift—that she counts every shilling,' Madame Grandoni continued. 'If there is a virtue she prides herself upon, it's her economy. Indeed, it's the only thing for which she takes any credit.'

'I wonder if she knows that I'—the Prince hesitated a moment, then he went on—'that I spend really nothing.