She had therefore
had a conception of gain, and Isabel asked herself where she had found
her profit. It took her naturally a long time to discover, and even
then her discovery was imperfect. It came back to her that Madame
Merle, though she had seemed to like her from their first meeting at
Gardencourt, had been doubly affectionate after Mr. Touchett's death
and after learning that her young friend had been subject to the
good old man's charity. She had found her profit not in the gross
device of borrowing money, but in the more refined idea of introducing
one of her intimates to the young woman's fresh and ingenuous fortune.
She had naturally chosen her closest intimate, and it was already
vivid enough to Isabel that Gilbert occupied this position. She
found herself confronted in this manner with the conviction that the
man in the world whom she had supposed to be the least sordid had
married her, like a vulgar adventurer, for her money. Strange to
say, it had never before occurred to her; if she had thought a good
deal of harm of Osmond she had not done him this particular injury.
This was the worst she could think of, and she had been saying to
herself that the worst was still to come.
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