"Is it the Venetian Alps--one of your last year's sketches ?" "Yes--but how you guess everything!" She looked a moment longer, then turned away.

"You know I don't care for your drawings." "I know it, yet I'm always surprised at it.

They're really so much better than most people's." "That may very well be.

But as the only thing you do--well, it's so little.

I should have liked you to do so many other things: those were my ambitions." "Yes; you've told me many times--things that were impossible." "Things that were impossible," said Madame Merle.