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convince herself that she had done everything possible to
content her husband; she was determined not to be haunt-
ed by visions of his wife’s limpness under appeal. It would
please him greatly to see Pansy married to an English no-
bleman, and justly please him, since this nobleman was so
sound a character. It seemed to Isabel that if she could make
it her duty to bring about such an event she should play the
part of a good wife. She wanted to be that; she wanted to be
able to believe sincerely, and with proof of it, that she had
been that. Then such an undertaking had other recommen-
dations. It would occupy her, and she desired occupation. It
would even amuse her, and if she could really amuse her-
self she perhaps might be saved. Lastly, it would be a service
to Lord Warburton, who evidently pleased himself greatly
with the charming girl. It was a little ‘weird’ he should-
being what he was; but there was no accounting for such
impressions. Pansy might captivate any one-any one at least
but Lord Warburton. Isabel would have thought her too
small, too slight, perhaps even too artificial for that. There
was always a little of the doll about her, and that was not
what he had been looking for. Still, who could say what men
ever were looking for? They looked for what they found;
they knew what pleased them only when they saw it. No
theory was valid in such matters, and nothing was more un-
accountable or more natural than anything else. If he had
cared for her it might seem odd he should care for Pansy,
who was so different; but he had not cared for her so much
as he had supposed. Or if he had, he had completely got over
it, and it was natural that, as that affair had failed, he should

586 The Portrait of a Lady