Page 624 - the-portrait-of-a-lady

when Pansy’s extreme adhesiveness made each of them, to
her sense, look foolish. But Osmond had given her a sort
of tableau of her position as his daughter’s duenna, which
consisted of gracious alternations of concession and con-
traction; and there were directions of his which she liked to
think she obeyed to the letter. Perhaps, as regards some of
them, it was because her doing so appeared to reduce them
to the absurd.
After Pansy had been led away, she found Lord War-
burton drawing near her again. She rested her eyes on him
steadily; she wished she could sound his thoughts. But he
had no appearance of confusion. ‘She has promised to dance
with me later,’ he said.
‘I’m glad of that. I suppose you’ve engaged her for the
cotillion.’
At this he looked a little awkward. ‘No, I didn’t ask her
for that. It’s a quadrille.’
‘Ah, you’re not clever!’ said Isabel almost angrily. ‘I told
her to keep the cotillion in case you should ask for it.’
‘Poor little maid, fancy that!’ And Lord Warburton
laughed frankly.
‘Of course I will if you like.’
‘If I like? Oh, if you dance with her only because I like
it-!
‘I’m afraid I bore her. She seems to have a lot of young
fellows on her book.’
Isabel dropped her eyes, reflecting rapidly; Lord War-
burton stood there looking at her and she felt his eyes on
her face. She felt much inclined to ask him to remove them.

624 The Portrait of a Lady