THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 225 a gesture committed her to nothing that would admit of a diverg- ence of views. Gilbert Osmond apparently took a rather hopeless view of his sister's tone, and he turned the conversation to another topic. He presently sat down on the other side of his daughter, who had taken Isabel's hand for a moment ; but he ended by drawing her out of her chair, and making her stand between his knees, leaning against him while he passed his arm round her little waist. The child fixed her eyes on Isabel with a still, disinterested gaze, which seemed void of an intention, but conscious of an attraction. Mr. Osmond talked of many things ; Madame Merle had said he could be agreeable when he chose, and to-day, after a little, he appeared not only to have chosen, but to have determined. Madame Merle and the Countess Gemini sat a little apart, conversing in the effortless manner of persons who knew each other well enough to take their ease ; every now and then Isabel heard the Countess say something extravagant. Mr. Osmond talked of Florence, of Italy, of the pleasure of living in that country, and of the abate- ments to such pleasure. There were both satisfactions and drawbacks the drawbacks were pretty numerous ; strangers were too apt to see Italy in rose-colour. On the whole it was better than other countries, if one was content to lead a quiet life and take things as they came. It was very dull sometimes, but there were advantages in living in the country which con- tained the most beauty. There were certain impressions that one could get only in Italy. There were others that one never got there, and one got some that were very bad. But from time to time one got a delightful one, which made up for everything. He was inclined to think that Italy had spoiled a great many people ; he was even fatuous enough to believe at times that he himself might have been a better man if he had spent less of his life there. It made people idle and dilettantish, and second- rate ; there was nothing tonic in an Italian life. One was out of the current ; one was not dans le mouvement, as the French said ; one was too far from Paris and London. " We are gloriously provincial, I assure you," said Mr. Osmond, " and I am perfectly aware that I myself am as rusty as a key that has no lock to fit it. It polishes me up a little to talk with you not that I venture to pretend I can turn that very complicated lock I suspect your intellect of being ! But you will be going away before I have seen you three times, and I shall perhaps never see you after that. That's what it is to live in a country that people come to. When they are disagreeable it is bad enough ; when they are agreeable it is still worse. As soon as you find Q
