THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 489 Then they held each other a moment in a silent embrace, like two sisters ; and afterwards Pansy walked along the corridor with. her visitor to the top of the staircase. " Madame Merle has been here," Pansy remarked as they went ; and as Isabel answered nothing she added, abruptly, " I don't like Madame Merle ! " Isabel hesitated a moment ; then she stopped. " You must never say that that you don't like Madame Merle." Pansy looked at her in wonder ; but wonder with Pansy had never been a reason for non-compliance. " I never will again," she said, with exquisite gentleness. At the top of the staircase they had to separate, as it appeared to be part of the mild but very definite discipline under which Pansy lived that she should not go down. Isabel descended, and when she reached the bottom the girl was standing above. / " You will come back?" she called out in a- voice that Isabel remembered afterwards. " Yes I will come back." Madame Catherine met Isabel below, and conducted her to the door of the parlour, outside of which the two stood talking a minute. " I won't go in," said the good sister. " Madame Merle is waiting for you." At this announcement Isabel gave a start, and she was on the point of asking if there were no other egress from the convent. But a moment's reflection assured her that she would do well not to betray to the worthy nun her desire to avoid Pansy's other visitor. Her companion laid her hand very gently on her arm, and fixing her a moment with a wise, benevolent eye, said to her, speaking French, almost familiarly " Eh bien, chere Madame, qu'en pensez-vous ? " " About my step-daughter 1 Oh, it would take long to tell you." " We think it's enough," said Madame Catherine, signifi- cantly. And she pushed open the door of the parlour. Madame Merle was sitting just as Isabel had left her, like a woman so absorbed in thought that she had not moved a little- finger. As Madame Catherine closed the door behind Isabel, she got up, and Isabel saw that she had been thinking to some purpose. She had recovered her balance ; she was in full pos- session of her resources. " I found that I wished to wait for you," she said, urbanely. " But it's not to talk about Pansy."
