She made up her mind to speak to Pansy, and she took an occasion on
the same day, going to the girl's room before dinner. Pansy was
already dressed; she was always in advance of the time: it seemed to
illustrate her pretty patience and the graceful stillness with which
she could sit and wait. At present she was seated, in her fresh array,
before the bed-room fire; she had blown out her candles on the
completion of her toilet, in accordance with the economical habits
in which she had been brought up and which she was now more careful
than ever to observe; so that the room was lighted only by a couple of
logs. The rooms in Palazzo Roccanera were as spacious as they were
numerous, and Pansy's virginal bower was an immense chamber with a
dark, heavily-timbered ceiling. Its diminutive mistress, in the
midst of it, appeared but a speck of humanity, and as she got up, with
quick deference, to welcome Isabel, the latter was more than ever
struck with her shy sincerity. Isabel had a difficult task-the only
thing was to perform it as simply as possible. She felt bitter and
angry, but she warned herself against betraying this heat. She was
afraid even of looking too grave, or at least too stern; she was
afraid of causing alarm.
Pages:
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819