THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 487 wliat she thought of the apparent lelations of her father with his wife j but never by a glance, by an intimation, had she let it be seen that she deemed them deficient in the quality of intimacy. She made her reflections, Isabel was sure ; and she must have had a conviction that there were husbands and wives who were more intimate than that. But Pansy was not indiscreet even in thought ; she would as little have ventured to judge her gentle stepmother as to criticise her magnificent father. Her heart may almost have stood still, as it would have done if she had seen two of the saints in the great picture in the convent-chapel turn their painted heads and shake them at each other ; but as in this latter case she would (for very solemnity's sake), never have mentioned the awful phenomenon, so she put away all knowledge of the secrets of larger lives than her own. " You will be very far away," she said presently. " Yes ; I shall be far away. But it will scarcely matter," Isabel answered ; " for so long as you are here I am very far away from you." " Yes ; but you can come and see me ; though you have not come very .often." " I have not come because your father forbade it. To-day I bring nothing with me. I can't amuse you." "I am not to be amused. That's not what papa wishes." " Then it hardly matters whether I am in Kome or in England." " You are not happy, Mrs. Osmond," said Pansy. " Not very. But it doesn't matter." " That's what I say to myself. What does it matter 1 But I should like to come out." " I wish indeed you might." " Don't leave me here," Pansy went on, gently. Isabel was silent a moment ; her heart beat fast. " Will you come away with me now 1 " she asked. Pansy looked at her pleadingly. " Did papa tell you to bring me 1 " " No ; it's my own proposal." " I think I had better wait, then. Did papa sjend me no message ? " " I don't think he knew I was coming." _" He thinks I have not had enough," said Pansy. " But I have. The ladies are very kind to me, and the little girls come to see me. There are some very little ones such charming children. Then my room you can. see for yourself. All that
