A man might marry a woman
for her money perfectly well; the thing was often done. But at least
he should let her know. She wondered whether, since he had wanted
her money, her money would now satisfy him. Would he take her money
and let her go? Ah, if Mr. Touchett's great charity would but help her
today it would be blessed indeed! It was not slow to occur to her that
if Madame Merle had wished to do Gilbert a service his recognition
to her of the boon must have lost its warmth. What must be his
feelings to-day in regard to his too zealous benefactress, and what
expression must they have found on the part of such a master of irony?
It is a singular, but a characteristic, fact that before Isabel
returned from her silent drive she had broken its silence by the
soft exclamation:
"Poor, poor Madame Merle!"
Her compassion would perhaps have been justified if on this same
afternoon she had been concealed behind one of the valuable curtains
of time-softened damask which dressed the interesting little salon
of the lady to whom it referred; the carefully-arranged apartment to
which we once paid a visit in company with the discreet Mr.
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