SuddenlyIreceiveaTitian，bythepost，tohangonmywall-aGreekbas-relieftostickovermychimney-piece。Thekeyofabeautifuledificeisthrustintomyhand，andI’mtoldtowalkinandadmire。Mypoorboy，you’vebeensadlyungrateful，andnowyouhadbetterkeepveryquietandnevergrumbleagain。Thesentimentofthesereflexionswasveryjust。butitwasnotexactlytruethatRalphTouchetthadhadakeyputintohishand。Hiscousinwasaverybrilliantgirl，whowouldtake，ashesaid，agooddealofknowing。
butsheneededtheknowing，andhisattitudewithregardtoher，thoughitwascontemplativeandcritical，wasnotjudicial。Hesurveyedtheedificefromtheoutsideandadmireditgreatly。helookedinatthewindowsandreceivedanimpressionofproportionsequallyfair。Buthefeltthathesawitonlybyglimpsesandthathehadnotyetstoodundertheroof。Thedoorwasfastened，andthoughhehadkeysinhispockethehadaconvictionthatnoneofthemwouldfit。Shewasintelligentandgenerous。itwasafinefreenature。butwhatwasshegoingtodowithherself？Thisquestionwasirregular，forwithmostwomenonehadnooccasiontoaskit。Mostwomendidwiththemselvesnothingatall。theywaited，attitudesmoreorlessgracefullypassive，foramantocomethatwayandfurnishthemwithadestiny。Isabel’soriginalitywasthatshegaveoneanimpressionofhavingintentionsofherown。Wheneversheexecutesthem，saidRalph，mayIbetheretosee！
Itdevolveduponhimofcoursetodothehonoursoftheplace。Mr。
Touchettwasconfinedtohischair，andhiswife’spositionwasthatofratheragrimvisitor。sothatinthelineofconductthatopeneditselftoRalphdutyandinclinationwereharmoniouslymixed。Hewasnotagreatwalker，buthestrolledaboutthegroundswithhiscousin-
apastimeforwhichtheweatherremainedfavourablewithapersistencynotallowedforinIsabel’ssomewhatlugubriousprevisionoftheclimate。andinthelongafternoons，ofwhichthelengthwasbutthemeasureofhergratifiedeagerness，theytookaboatontheriver，thedearlittleriver，asIsabelcalledit，wheretheoppositeshoreseemedstillapartoftheforegroundofthelandscape。ordroveoverthecountryinaphaeton-alow，capacious，thick-wheeledphaetonformerlymuchusedbyMr。Touchett，butwhichhehadnowceasedtoenjoy。Isabelenjoyeditlargelyand，handlingthereinsinamannerwhichapproveditselftothegroomasknowing，wasneverwearyofdrivingheruncle’scapitalhorsesthroughwindinglanesandbywaysfulloftheruralincidentsshehadconfidentlyexpectedtofind。pastcottagesthatchedandtimbered，pastale-houseslatticedandsanded，pastpatchesofancientcommonandglimpsesofemptyparks，betweenhedgerowsmadethickbymidsummer。WhentheyreachedhometheyusuallyfoundteahadbeenservedonthelawnandthatMrs。Touchetthadnotshrunkfromtheextremityofhandingherhusbandhiscup。Butthetwoforthemostpartsatsilent。theoldmanwithhisheadbackandhiseyesclosed，hiswifeoccupiedwithherknittingandwearingthatappearanceofrareprofunditywithwhichsomeladiesconsiderthemovementoftheirneedles。