Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 3.djvu/30

 cursory, receptive manner, which took all sorts of equalities for granted, was a homage to the idea of his refinement. It was in this manner that she now conversed with him on the subject of his foreign travels; he found himself discussing the political indications of Paris and the Ruskinian theories of Venice, in Belgrave Square, quite like one of the cosmopolites bred in that region. It took him, however, but a few minutes to perceive that Lady Aurora's heart was not in these considerations; the deferential smile she bent upon him, while she sat with her head thrust forward and her long hands clasped in her lap, was slightly mechanical, her attitude perfunctory. When he gave her his views of some of the arrière-pensées of M. Gambetta (for he had views not altogether, as he thought, deficient in originality), she did not interrupt, for she never interrupted; but,she took advantage of his first pause to say, quickly, irrelevantly, 'Will the Princess Casamassima come again to Audley Court?'

'I have no doubt she will come again, if they would like her to.'

'I do hope she will. She is very wonderful,' Lady Aurora continued.

'Oh, yes, she is very wonderful. I think she gave Rosy pleasure,' said Hyacinth.

'Rosy can talk of nothing else. It would really do her great good to see the Princess again. Don't you think she is different from anybody that one has ever seen?' But her ladyship added, before waiting for an answer to this, ' I liked her quite extraordinarily.'

'She liked you just as much. I know it would give her great pleasure if you should go to see her.'