THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 211 don't see why you think Mrs. Touchett's niece should matter very much to me, when when " and he paused a moment. " When I myself have mattered so little ? " " That of course is not what I meant to say. When I have known and appreciated such a woman as you." " Isabel Archer is better than I," said Madame Merle. Her companion gave a laugh. " How little you must think of -her to say that ! " " Do you suppose I am capable of jealousy 1 Please answer me that." " With regard to me 1 No ; on the whole I don't." " Come and see me, then, two days hence. I am staying at Mrs. Touchett's the Palazzo Crescentini and the girl will be there." " Why didn't you ask me that at first, simply, without speak- ing of the girl 1 " said Osmond. " You could have had her there at any rate." Madame Merle looked at him in the manner of a woman whom no question that he could ask would find unprepared. " Do you wish to know why 1 Because I have spoken of you to her." Osmond frowned and turned away. " I would rather not know that." Then, in a moment, he pointed out the easel sup- porting the little water-colour drawing. " Have you seen that my last 1 " Madame Merle drew near and looked at it a moment. " Is it die Venetian Alps one of your last year's sketches V 1 " Yes but how you guess everything ! " Madame Merle looked for a moment longer ; then she turned away. " You know I don't care for your drawings." " I know it, yet I am always surprised at it. They are really so much better than most people's." " That may very well be. But as the only thing you do, it's so little. I should have liked you to do so many other things : those were my ambitions." " Yes ; you have told me many times things that were impossible." " Things that were impossible," said Madame Merle. And then, in quite a different tone " In itself your little picture is very good." She looked about the room at the old cabinets, the pictures, the tapestries, the surfaces of faded silk. " Your rooms, at least, are perfect," she went on. " I am struck with that afresh, whenever I come back ; I know none better any- where. You understand this sort of thing as no one else does." P 2
