ich
she followed, hugging the shade, with that consciousness of turning
the tables on her friend which we have already noted. But so far as
she went, after descending into the open and beginning to explore the
grounds, Mrs. Verver had gone still further--with the increase of the
oddity, moreover, of her having exchanged the protection of her room for
these exposed and shining spaces. It was not, fortunately, however,
at last, that by persisting in pursuit one didn't arrive at regions
of admirable shade: this was the asylum, presumably, that the poor
wandering woman had had in view--several wide alleys, in particular,
of great length, densely overarched with the climbing rose and the
honeysuckle and converging, in separate green vistas, at a sort of
umbrageous temple, an ancient rotunda, pillared and statued, niched and
roofed, yet with its uncorrected antiquity, like that of everything
else at Fawns, conscious hitherto of no violence from the present and
no menace from the future. Charlotte had paused there, in her frenzy, or
what ever it was to be called; the place was a conceivable retreat, and
she was staring before her, from the seat to which she appeared to have
sunk, all unwittingly, as Maggie stopped at the beginning of one of the
perspectives.

It was a repetition more than ever then of the evening on the terrace;
the distance was too great to assure her she had been immediately seen,
but the Princess waited, with her intention, as Charlotte on the other
occasion had waited--allowing, oh allowing, for the difference of the
intention! Maggie was full of the sense of THAT--so full that it made
her impatient; whereupon she moved forward a little, placing herself in
range of the eyes that had been looking off elsewhere, but that she had
suddenly called to recognition. Charlotte had evidently not dreamed of
being followed, and instinctively, with her pale stare, she stiffened
herself for protest. Maggie could make that out--as well as, further,
however, that her second impression of her friend's approach had an
instant effect on her attitude. The Princess came nearer, gravely and
in silence, but fairly paused again, to give her time for whatever
she would. Whatever she would, whatever she could, was what Maggie
wanted--wanting above all to make it as easy for her as the case
permitted. That was not what Charlotte had wanted the other night, but
this never mattered--the great thing was to allow her, was fairly to
pro