412 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. Isabel was grateful for the dimness of the room ; she felt as if her face were hideously insincere. She was doing this for Osmond ; this was what one had to do for Osmond ! Pansy's solemn eyes, fixed on her own, almost embarrassed her ; she was* ashamed to think that she had made so light of the girl's preference. " What should you like me to do 1 " said Pansy, softly. The question was a terrible one, and Isabel pusillanimously took refuge in a generalisation. "To remember all the pleasure it is in your power to give your father." "To marry some one else, you mean if he should ask me 1 ?" For a moment Isabel's answer caused itself to be waited for ; then she heard herself utter it, in the stillness that Pansy's attention seemed to make. " Yes to marry some one else." Pansy's eyes grew more penetrating ; Isabel believed that she was doubting her sincerity, and the impression took force from her slowly getting up from her cushion. She stood there a moment, with her small hands unclasped, and then she said, with a timorous sigh " Well, I hope no one will ask me ! " " There has been a question of that. Some one else would have been ready to ask you." " I don't think he can have been ready," said Pansy. " It would appear so if he had been sure that he would succeed." " If he had been sure ? Then he was not ready ! " Isabel thought this rather sharp ; she also got up. and stood a moment, looking into the fire. " Lord Warburton has shown you great attention," she said ; "of course you know it's of him I speak." She found herself, against her expectation, almost placed in the position of justifying herself ; which led her to introduce this nobleman more crudely than she had intended. " He has been very kind to me, and I like him very much. But if you mean that he will ask me to marry him, I think you are mistaken." " Perhaps I am. But your father would like it extremely." Pansy shook her head, with a little wise smile. " Lord Warburton won't ask me simply to please papa." " Your father would like you to encourage him," Isabel went on, mechanically. " How can I encourage him ? " " I don't know. Your father must tell you that."
