The Portrait of a Lady Page #4

I should like to do something for her.

- I should like to make her rich.

- What do you mean by rich?

I call people rich...

when they're able to meet the requirements of their imagination.

To do what she likes with it?

Absolutely what she likes.

Good boy.

[GRR]

[GRR]

You win.

Down.

Who is this Madame Merle?

She's very charming.

She plays beautifully.

- She does everything beautifully.

- You don't like her.

On the contrary, I was once in love with her.

And she didn't care for you?

That's why you don't like her?

How can we have discussed such things?

Monsieur Merle was then living.

Is he dead now?

So she says.

Don't you believe her?

Yes, because...

the husband of Madame Merle would be likely to pass away.

Mme. Merle:
Am I late?

I do apologise.

No, not at all.

Are you aware of the beautiful walking paths round the estate?

Mme. Merle:
Americans certainly make poor Europeans.

We've no natural place here.

But a woman, it seems to me, has no natural place anywhere.

Wherever she finds herself, she must stay on the surface,

and more or less crawl.

I shall never crawl.

Yes. On the whole, I don't see you crawling.

But the men, the Americans?

Look at poor Ralph Touchett.

What sort of figure do you call that?

Fortunately, he has consumption.

I say fortunately because it gives him something to do.

His consumption's his... carriere.

It's a kind of position.

If he were not ill, he'd do something.

He'd take his father's place in the bank.

I doubt it. He's not at all fond of the bank.

- Are you not good friends?

- Perfectly!

But he doesn't like me.

What have you done to him?

Nothing whatever,

but one has no need of a reason for that.

For not liking you? I think one has need of a very good reason.

Ah. I love the English rain.

There's always a little of it and never too much at once.

Never wet, and it always... smells good.

[SNIFFS] Ah, delicious!

Mmm, delicious!

Mmm, it is!

I'd give a good deal to be your age again,

to have my life before me.

Your life's before you yet.

No. The best part's gone, and gone for nothing.

Oh, surely not for nothing.

Why not? What have I got?

Neither husband nor child nor fortune.

Nor even a house of my own.

What should you like to do that you've not done?

I'm very ambitious.

To me, you're the vivid image of success.

My dreams were so... great.

I should make myself ridiculous by talking of them.

I should like you to have this.

I am going to six places in succession,

and I shall meet no one I like so well as you.

Ahem.

[YAWNS]

He has left me this house, but naturally, I shall not live in it.

I have a much better one in Florence, as you know.

And Ralph gets Gardencourt.

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