Page 391 - the-portrait-of-a-lady

has nothing in the world that I know of but a dozen or two
of early masters and a more or less pert little daughter.’
‘The early masters are now worth a good deal of money,’
said Madame Merle, ‘and the daughter’s a very young and
very innocent and very harmless person.’
‘In other words she’s an insipid little chit. Is that what
you mean? Having no fortune she can’t hope to marry as
they marry here; so that Isabel will have to furnish her ei-
ther with a maintenance or with a dowry.’
‘Isabel probably wouldn’t object to being kind to her. I
think she likes the poor child.’
‘Another reason then for Mr. Osmond’s stopping at
home! Otherwise, a week hence, we shall have my niece ar-
riving at the conviction that her mission in life’s to prove
that a stepmother may sacrifice herselfand that, to prove it,
she must first become one.’
‘She would make a charming stepmother,’ smiled Ma-
dame Merle; ‘but I quite agree with you that she had better
not decide upon her mission too hastily. Changing the form
of one’s mission’s almost as difficult as changing the shape
of one’s nose: there they are, each, in the middle of one’s face
and one’s character—one has to begin too far back. But I’ll
investigate and report to you.’
All this went on quite over Isabel’s head; she had no
suspicions that her relations with Mr. Osmond were being
discussed. Madame Merle had said nothing to put her on
her guard; she alluded no more pointedly to him than to
the other gentlemen of Florence, native and foreign, who
now arrived in considerable numbers to pay their respects

391