The Portrait of a Lady

In truth, Isabel has to work hard to reconcile the thought of Pansy and Lord Warburton getting married. But she decides that she would be acting as a good parental figure if she promotes this more advantageous match, and therefore seems to experience a change in heart regarding the love match between Pansy and Edward Rosier, instead preferring Pansy to marry Lord Warburton as Madame Merle has suggested.

Isabel ignores her disbelief that Lord Warburton is truly interested in Pansy when the girl is such a different character from his previous love, Isabel herself. Isabel also hopes that Pansy’s feelings for Rosier lack depth and that she can be persuaded to move on easily enough, although she knows deep down that this is likely not the case.

Lord Warburton visits the Osmonds’ house for one of Isabel’s Thursday night parties. Isabel finds herself with the opportunity to leave Warburton and Pansy talking together alone, but cannot convince herself to carry out the act. Warburton ends up leaving the event without having been able to speak with Pansy alone.

After the party, Isabel sits alone in front of the fireplace. Osmond interrupts her quiet reflections to discuss Pansy’s marriage options. Osmond is clear in his desire for Pansy to marry Lord Warburton, stating that she will always want to please her father and that she wants to be a great lady. He ignores Isabel’s warning that Pansy had a great depth of feeling for Rosier.

Although Isabel expects a harsh rebuke from Osmond concerning her involvement (or lack of it) in shaping Pansy’s future marriage, Osmond merely requests that Isabel help facilitate the match between Pansy and Lord Warburton. Osmond believes that Isabel still has the power to persuade Warburton to do whatever she pleases, offending Isabel when he alludes to the nobleman’s previous passion for her.