Page 507 - the-portrait-of-a-lady

rope!’
Madame Merle opened wide eyes. ‘Did you come to tell
me that?’
‘I came to ask your advice.’
She looked at him with a friendly frown, stroking her
chin with her large white hand. ‘A man in love, you know,
doesn’t ask advice.’
‘Why not, if he’s in a difficult position? That’s often the
case with a man in love. I’ve been in love before, and I know.
But never so much as this time-really never so much. I
should like particularly to know what you think of my pros-
pects. I’m afraid that for Mr. Osmond I’m not-well, a real
collector’s piece.’
‘Do you wish me to intercede?’ Madame Merle asked
with her fine arms folded and her handsome mouth drawn
up to the left.
‘If you could say a good word for me I should be greatly
obliged. There will be no use in my troubling Miss Osmond
unless I have good reason to believe her father will con-
sent.’
‘You’re very considerate; that’s in your favour. But you
assume in rather an off-hand way that I think you a prize.’
‘You’ve been very kind to me,’ said the young man. ‘That’s
why I came.’
‘I’m always kind to people who have good Louis Qua-
torze. It’s very rare now, and there’s no telling what one may
get by it.’ With which the left-hand corner of Madame Mer-
le’s mouth gave expression to the joke.
But he looked, in spite of it, literally apprehensive and

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