She talked of Florence, where Mr.Osmond lived and where Mrs.Touchett occupied a medieval palace; she talked of Rome, where she herself had a little pied-a-terre with some rather good old damask.

She talked of places, of people and even, as the phrase is, of "subjects"; and from time to time she talked of their kind old host and of the prospect of his recovery.

From the first she had thought this prospect small, and Isabel had been struck with the positive, discriminating, competent way in which she took the measure of his remainder of life.

One evening she announced definitely that he wouldn't live.
"Sir Matthew Hope told me so as plainly as was proper," she said; "standing there, near the fire, before dinner.

He makes himself very agreeable, the great doctor.