As soon as you like them they're off again! I've been
deceived too often; I've ceased to form attachments, to permit
myself to feel attractions. You mean to stay- to settle? That would be
really comfortable. Ah yes, your aunt's a sort of guarantee; I believe
she may be depended on. Oh, she's an old Florentine; I mean
literally an old one; not a modern outsider. She's a contemporary of
the Medici; she must have been present at the burning of Savonarola,
and I'm not sure she didn't throw a handful of chips into the flame.
Her face is very much like some faces in the early pictures; little,
dry, definite faces that must have had a good deal of expression,
but almost always the same one. Indeed I can show you her portrait
in a fresco of Ghirlandaio's. I hope you don't object to my speaking
that way of your aunt, eh? I've an idea you don't. Perhaps you think
that's even worse. I assure you there's no want of respect in it, to
either of you. You know I'm a particular admirer of Mrs. Touchett."
While Isabel's host exerted himself to entertain her in this
somewhat confidential fashion she looked occasionally at Madame Merle,
who met her eyes with an inattentive smile in which, on this occasion,
there was no infelicitous intimation that our heroine appeared to
advantage.
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