What had Gilbert Osmond meant by giving him two fingers of his left hand?
If Osmond was rude, surely he himself might be bold.

He felt extremely bold after the dull girl in so vain a disguise of rose-colour had responded to the call of her mother, who came in to say, with a significant simper at Rosier, that she must carry her off to other triumphs.

The mother and daughter departed together, and now it depended only upon him that he should be virtually alone with Pansy.

He had never been alone with her before; he had never been alone with a jeune fille.

It was a great moment; poor Rosier began to pat his forehead again.