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Chapter 49

Madame Merle had not made her appearance at Palaz-
zo Roccanera on the evening of that Thursday of which I
have narrated some of the incidents, and Isabel, though she
observed her absence, was not surprised by it. Things had
passed between them which added no stimulus to sociabili-
ty, and to appreciate which we must glance a little backward.
It has been mentioned that Madame Merle returned from
Naples shortly after Lord Warburton had left Rome, and
that on her first meeting with Isabel (whom, to do her jus-
tice, she came immediately to see) her first utterance had
been an enquiry as to the whereabouts of this nobleman, for
whom she appeared to hold her dear friend accountable.
‘Please don’t talk of him,’ said Isabel for answer; ‘we’ve
heard so much of him of late.’
Madame Merle bent her head on one side a little, pro-
testingly, and smiled at the left corner of her mouth. ‘You’ve
heard, yes. But you must remember that I’ve not, in Naples.
I hoped to find him here and to be able to congratulate Pan-
sy.’
‘You may congratulate Pansy still; but not on marrying
Lord Warburton.’
‘How you say that! Don’t you know I had set my heart on
it?’ Madame Merle asked with a great deal of spirit, but still
with the intonation of good humour.

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