358 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. " And you know what I have told you ; that whether I come or whether I stay away, I have always the same motive the affection I bear you." " Yes, you have told me that." " You look just now as if you didn't believe me," said Madame Merle. " Ah," Isabel answered, " the profundity of your motives, that is the last thing I doubt ! " " You doubt sooner of the sincerity of my words." Isabel shook her head gravely. " I. know you have always been kind to me." " As often as you would let me. You don't always take it ; then one has to let you alone. It's not to do you a kindness, however, that I have come to-day ; it's quite another affair. I have come to get rid of a trouble of my own to mak^ it over to you. I have been talking to your husband about it." " I am surprised at that ; he doesn't like troubles." " Especially other people's ; I know that. But neither do you, I suppose. At any rate, whether you do or not, you must help me. It's about poor Mr. Kosier." "Ah," said Isabel, reflectively, " it's his trouble, then, not yours." " He has succeeded in saddling me with it. He comes to see me ten times a week, to talk about Pansy." " Yes, .he wants to marry her. I know all about it." Madame Merle hesitated a moment. "I gathered from your husband that perhaps you didn't." " How should he know what I know 1 He has never spoken to me of the matter." " It is probably because he doesn't know how to speak of it." " It's nevertheless a sort of question in which he is rarely at fault." " Yes, because as a general thing he knows perfectly well what to think. To-day he doesn't." " Haven't you been telling him 1 " Isabel asked. Madame Merle gave a bright, voluntary smile. " Do you know you're a little dry 1 " " Yes ; I can't help it. Mr. Rosier has also talked to me." " In that there is some reason. You are so near the child." " Ah," said Isabel, " for all the comfort I have given him ! If you think me dry, I wonder what he thinks." " I believe he thinks you can do more than you have done." " I can do nothing." "You can do more at least than I. I don't know what
