Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 2.djvu/197

 'And have you been making love to your great lady?'

He had expected a flash of impatience in reply to this inquiry, and was rather surprised at the manner in which Hyacinth answered: 'How shall I explain? It is not a question of that sort.'

'Has she been making love to you, then?'

'If you should ever see her you would understand how absurd that supposition is.'

'How shall I ever see her?' returned Mr. Vetch. 'In the absence of that privilege I think there is something in my idea.'

'She looks quite over my head,' said Hyacinth, simply. 'It's by no means impossible you may see her. She wants to know my friends, to know the people who live in the Place. And she would take a particular interest in you, on account of your opinions.'

'Ah, I have no opinions now, none any more!' the old man broke out, sadly. 'I only had them to frighten Pinnie.'

'She was easily frightened,' said Hyacinth.

'Yes, and easily reassured. Well, I like to know about your life,' his neighbour sighed, irrelevantly. 'But take care the great lady doesn't lead you too far.'

'How do you mean, too far?'

'Isn't she an anarchist—a nihilist? Doesn't she go in for a general rectification, as Eustace calls it?'

Hyacinth was silent a moment. 'You should see the place—you should see what she wears, what she eats and drinks.'

'Ah, you mean that she is inconsistent with her theories?