"Good-bye, my child."
Then they held each other a moment in a silent embrace, like two
sisters; and afterwards Pansy walked along the corridor with her
visitor to the top of the staircase. "Madame Merle has been here," she
remarked as they went; and as Isabel answered nothing she added
abruptly: "I don't like Madame Merle!"
Isabel hesitated, then stopped. "You must never say that-that you
don't like Madame Merle."
Pansy looked at her in wonder; but wonder with Pansy had never
been a reason for non-compliance. "I never will again," she said
with exquisite gentleness. At the top of the staircase they had to
separate, as it appeared to be part of the mild but very definite
discipline under which Pansy lived that she should not go down. Isabel
descended, and when she reached the bottom the girl was standing
above. "You'll come back?" she called out in a voice that Isabel
remembered afterwards.
"Yes-I'll come back."
Madame Catherine met Mrs. Osmond below and conducted her to the door
of the parlour, outside of which the two stood talking a minute. "I
won't go in," said the good sister. "Madame Merle's waiting for you."
At this announcement Isabel stiffened; she was on the point of
asking if there were no other egress from the convent.
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