Page 466 - the-portrait-of-a-lady

‘Why do you always come back to what others think? I can’t
discuss Mr. Osmond with you.’
‘Of course not,’ said Caspar reasonably. And he sat there
with his air of stiff helplessness, as if not only this were true,
but there were nothing else that they might discuss.
‘You see how little you gain,’ she accordingly broke out-
”how little comfort or satisfaction I can give you.’
‘I didn’t expect you to give me much.’
‘I don’t understand then why you came.’
‘I came because I wanted to see you once more even just
as you are.’
‘I appreciate that; but if you had waited a while, sooner
or later we should have been sure to meet, and our meeting
would have been pleasanter for each of us than this.’
‘Waited till after you’re married? That’s just what I didn’t
want to do.
You’ll be different then.’
‘Not very. I shall still be a great friend of yours. You’ll
see.’
‘That will make it all the worse,’ said Mr. Goodwood
grimly.
‘Ah, you’re unaccommodating! I can’t promise to dislike
you in order to help you to resign yourself.’
‘I shouldn’t care if you did!’
Isabel got up with a movement of repressed impatience
and walked to the window, where she remained a moment
looking out. When she turned round her visitor was still
motionless in his place. She came toward him again and
stopped, resting her hand on the back of the chair she had

466 The Portrait of a Lady