SheletherfriendknowthatCasparGoodwoodhaddiscoveredforhimselfthatshewasunhappy，thoughindeedheringenuitywasunabletosuggestwhatcomforthehopedtogiveherbycomingtoRomeandyetnotcallingonher。Theymethimtwiceinthestreet，buthehadnoappearanceofseeingthem。theyweredriving，andhehadahabitoflookingstraightinfrontofhim，asifheproposedtotakeinbutoneobjectatatime。Isabelcouldhavefanciedshehadseenhimthedaybefore。itmusthavebeenwithjustthatfaceandstepthathehadwalkedoutofMrs。Touchett’sdooratthecloseoftheirlastinterview。Hewasdressedjustashehadbeendressedonthatday，Isabelrememberedthecolourofhiscravat。andyetinspiteofthisfamiliarlooktherewasastrangenessinhisfiguretoo，somethingthatmadeherfeelitafreshtoberatherterribleheshouldhavecometoRome。Helookedbiggerandmoreovertoppingthanofold，andinthosedayshecertainlyreachedhighenough。Shenoticedthatthepeoplewhomhepassedlookedbackafterhim。buthewentstraightforward，liftingabovethemafacelikeaFebruarysky。
MissStackpole’sothertopicwasverydifferent。shegaveIsabelthelatestnewsaboutMr。Bantling。HehadbeenoutintheUnitedStatestheyearbefore，andshewashappytosayshehadbeenabletoshowhimconsiderableattention。Shedidn’tknowhowmuchhehadenjoyedit，butshewouldundertaketosayithaddonehimgood。hewasn’tthesamemanwhenheleftashehadbeenwhenhecame。IthadopenedhiseyesandshownhimthatEnglandwasn’teverything。Hehadbeenverymuchlikedinmostplaces，andthoughtextremelysimple-moresimplethantheEnglishwerecommonlysupposedtobe。Therewerepeoplewhohadthoughthimaffected。shedidn’tknowwhethertheymeantthathissimplicitywasanaffectation。Someofhisquestionsweretoodiscouraging。hethoughtallthechambermaidswerefarmers’
daughters-orallthefarmers’daughterswerechambermaids-shecouldn’texactlyrememberwhich。Hehadn’tseemedabletograspthegreatschoolsystem。ithadbeenreallytoomuchforhim。Onthewholehehadbehavedasifthereweretoomuchofeverything-aifhecouldonlytakeinasmallpart。Theparthehadchosenwasthehotelsystemandtherivernavigation。Hehadseemedreallyfascinatedwiththehotels。hehadaphotographofeveryonehehadvisited。Buttheriversteamerswerehisprincipalinterest。hewantedtodonothingbutsailonthebigboats。TheyhadtravelledtogetherfromNewYorktoMilwaukee，stoppingatthemostinterestingcitiesontheroute。andwhenevertheystartedafreshhehadwantedtoknowiftheycouldgobythesteamer。Heseemedtohavenoideaofgeography-hadanimpressionthatBaltimorewasaWesterncityandwasperpetuallyexpectingtoarriveattheMississippi。HeappearednevertohaveheardofanyriverinAmericabuttheMississippiandwasunpreparedtorecognizetheexistenceoftheHudson，thoughobligedtoconfessatlastthatitwasfullyequaltotheRhine。Theyhadspentsomepleasanthoursinthepalace-cars。hewasalwaysorderingice-creamfromthecolouredman。Hecouldnevergetusedtothatidea-thatyoucouldgetice-creaminthecars。Ofcourseyoucouldn’t，norfans，norcandy，noranythingintheEnglishcars！Hefoundtheheatquiteoverwhelming，andshehadtoldhimsheindeedexpecteditwasthebiggesthehadeverexperienced。HewasnowinEngland，hunting-huntingroundHenriettacalledit。TheseamusementswerethoseoftheAmericanredmen。wehadleftthatbehindlongago，thepleasuresofthechase。ItseemedtobegenerallybelievedinEnglandthatweworetomahawksandfeathers。butsuchacostumewasmoreinkeepingwithEnglishhabits。Mr。BantlingwouldnothavetimetojoinherinItaly，butwhensheshouldgotoParisagainheexpectedtocomeover。HewantedverymuchtoseeVersaillesagain。hewasveryfondoftheancientregime。
Theydidn’tagreeaboutthat，butthatwaswhatshelikedVersaillesfor，thatyoucouldseetheancientrigimehadbeensweptaway。
Therewerenodukesandmarquisestherenow。sherememberedonthecontraryonedaywhentherewerefiveAmericanfamilies，walkingallround。Mr。BantlingwasveryanxiousthatsheshouldtakeupthesubjectofEnglandagain，andhethoughtshemightgetonbetterwithitnow。Englandhadchangedagooddealwithintwoorthreeyears。Hewasdeterminedthatifshewentthereheshouldgotoseehissister，LadyPensil，andthatthistimetheinvitationshouldcometoherstraight。Themysteryaboutthatotheronehadneverbeenexplained。