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‘Why then is the difficulty so great?’
‘I’ve always felt sure of his knowing that I don’t want-
what did you say I should do?-to encourage him. He knows
I don’t want to marry, and he wants me to know that he
therefore won’t trouble me. That’s the meaning of his kind-
ness. It’s as if he said to me: ‘I like you very much, but if it
doesn’t please you I’ll never say it again.’ I think that’s very
kind, very noble,’ Pansy went on with deepening positive-
ness. ‘That is all we’ve said to each other. And he doesn’t
care for me either. Ah no, there’s no danger.’
Isabel was touched with wonder at the depths of percep-
tion of which this submissive little person was capable; she
felt afraid of Pansy’s wisdom-began almost to retreat before
it. ‘You must tell your father that,’ she remarked reservedly.
‘I think I’d rather not,’ Pansy unreservedly answered.
‘You oughtn’t to let him have false hopes.’
‘Perhaps not; but it will be good for me that he should.
So long as he believes that Lord Warburton intends any-
thing of the kind you say, papa won’t propose any one else.
And that will be an advantage for me,’ said the child very
lucidly.
There was something brilliant in her lucidity, and it made
her companion draw a long breath. It relieved this friend of
a heavy responsibility. Pansy had a sufficient illumination of
her own, and Isabel felt that she herself just now had no light
to spare from her small stock. Nevertheless it still clung to
her that she must be loyal to Osmond, that she was on her
honour in dealing with his daughter. Under the influence of
this sentiment she threw out another suggestion before she

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