Page 773 - the-portrait-of-a-lady

coming off she almost dropped the mask.’
‘Ah, that’s where she’d dish herself!’ cried the Count-
ess. ‘She has failed so dreadfully that she’s determined her
daughter shall make it up.’
Isabel started at the words ‘her daughter,’ which her guest
threw off so familiarly. ‘It seems very wonderful,’ she mur-
mured; and in this bewildering impression she had almost
lost her sense of being personally touched by the story.
‘Now don’t go and turn against the poor innocent child!’
the Countess went on. ‘She’s very nice, in spite of her de-
plorable origin. I myself have liked Pansy; not, naturally,
because she was hers, but because she had become yours.’
‘Yes, she has become mine. And how the poor woman
must have suffered at seeing me-!’ Isabel exclaimed while
she flushed at the thought.
‘I don’t believe she has suffered; on the contrary, she has
enjoyed. Osmond’s marriage has given his daughter a great
little lift. Before that she lived in a hole. And do you know
what the mother thought? That you might take such a fan-
cy to the child that you’d do something for her. Osmond
of course could never give her a portion. Osmond was re-
ally extremely poor; but of course you know all about that.
Ah, my dear,’ cried the Countess, ‘why did you ever inherit
money?’ She stopped a moment as if she saw something sin-
gular in Isabel’s face. ‘Don’t tell me now that you’ll give her
a dot. You’re capable of that, but I would refuse to believe
it. Don’t try to be too good. Be a little easy and natural and
nasty; feel a little wicked, for the comfort of it, once in your
life!’

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