She
sank down on her sofa at last and buried her head in a pile of
cushions.
When she raised her head again the Countess Gemini hovered before
her. She had come in all unperceived; she had a strange smile on her
thin lips and her whole face had grown in an hour a shining
intimation. She lived assuredly, it might be said, at the window of
her spirit, but now she was leaning far out. "I knocked," she began,
"but you didn't answer me. So I ventured in. I've been looking at
you for the last five minutes. You're very unhappy."
"Yes; but I don't think you can comfort me."
"Will you give me leave to try?" And the Countess sat down on the
sofa beside her. She continued to smile, and there was something
communicative and exultant in her expression. She appeared to have a
deal to say, and it occurred to Isabel for the first time that her
sister-in-law might say something really human. She made play with her
glittering eyes, in which there was an unpleasant fascination.
"After all," she soon resumed, "I must tell you, to begin with, that I
don't understand your state of mind. You seem to have so many
scruples, so many reasons, so many ties.
Pages:
926
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950