326 THE PORTRAIT OF A without a question. It was true that this would be a rash experiment in a yellow Empire salottino. She had known it was for her he came ; and yet like what a perfect little lady she had carried it off ! " You are very dear to me," he murmured, trying to believe that there was after all such a thing as hospitality. She looked a moment at her hand, where he had kissed it. " Did you say that papa knows 1 " " You told me just now he knows everything." " I think you must make sure, " said Pansy. " Ah, my dear, when once I am sure of you ! " Rosier mur- mured in her ear, while she turned back to the other rooms with a little air of consistency- which seemed to imply that theii appeal should be immediate. The other rooms meanwhile had become conscious of the arrival of Madame Merle, who, wherever she went, produced an impression when she entered. How she did it the most attentive spectator could not have told you ; for she neither spoke loud, nor laughed profusely, nor moved rapidly, nor dressed with splendour, nor appealed in any appreciable manner to the audience. Large, fair, smiling, serene, there was something in her very tranquillity that diffused itself, and when people looked round it was because of a sudden quiet. On this occasion she had done the quietest thing she could do ; after embracing Mrs. Osmond, which was more striking, she had sat down on a small sofa to commune with the master of the house. There was a brief exchange of commonplaces between these two they always paid, in public, a certain formal tribute to the commonplace and then Madame Merle, whose eyes had been wandering, asked if little Mr. Rosier had come this evening. " He came nearly an hour ago but he has disappeared," Osmond said. "And where is Pansy?" " In the other room. There are several people there." " He is probably among them," said Madame Merle. " Do you wish to see him? " Osmond asked, in a provokingly pointless tone. Madame Merle looked at him a moment : she knew his tones, to the eighth of a note. " Yes, I should like to say to him that I have told you what he wants, and that it interests you but feebly." " Don't tell him that, he will try to interest me more which is -exactly what I don't want. Tell him I hate his proposal.' "But you don't hate it."
