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。
CasparGoodwoodcameatlasttoPalazzoRoccanera。hehadwrittenIsabelanotebeforehand，toaskleave。Thiswaspromptlygranted。shewouldbeathomeatsixo’clockthatafternoon。Shespentthedaywonderingwhathewascomingfor-whatgoodheexpectedtogetofit。
Hehadpresentedhimselfhithertoasapersondestituteofthefacultyofcompromise，whowouldtakewhathehadaskedforortakenothing。
Isabel’shospitality，however，raisednoquestions，andshefoundnogreatdifficultyinappearinghappyenoughtodeceivehim。Itwasherconvictionatleastthatshedeceivedhim，madehimsaytohimselfthathehadbeenmisinformed。Butshealsosaw，soshebelieved，thathewasnotdisappointed，assomeothermen，shewassure，wouldhavebeen。hehadnotcometoRometolookforanopportunity。Sheneverfoundoutwhathehadcomefor。heofferedhernoexplanation。
therecouldbenonebuttheverysimpleonethathewantedtoseeher。
Inotherwordshehadcomeforhisamusement。Isabelfollowedupthisinductionwithagooddealofeagerness，andwasdelightedtohavefoundaformulathatwouldlaytheghostofthisgentleman’sancientgrievance。IfhehadcometoRomeforhisamusementthiswasexactlywhatshewanted。forifhecaredforamusementhehadgotoverhisheartache。Ifhehadgotoverhisheartacheeverythingwasasitshouldbeandherresponsibilitieswereatanend。Itwastruethathetookhisrecreationalittlestiffly，buthehadneverbeenlooseandeasyandshehadeveryreasontobelievehewassatisfiedwithwhathesaw。Henriettawasnotinhisconfidence，thoughhewasinhers，andIsabelconsequentlyreceivednoside-lightuponhisstateofmind。Hewasopentolittleconversationongeneraltopics。itcamebacktoherthatshehadsaidofhimonce，yearsbefore，Mr。Goodwoodspeaksagooddeal，buthedoesn’ttalk。Hespokeagooddealnow，buthetalkedperhapsaslittleasever。considering，thatis，howmuchtherewasinRometotalkabout。Hisarrivalwasnotcalculatedtosimplifyherrelationswithherhusband，forifMr。Osmonddidn’tlikeherfriendsMr。Goodwoodhadnoclaimuponhisattentionsaveashavingbeenoneofthefirstofthem。Therewasnothingforhertosayofhimbutthathewastheveryoldest。thisrathermeagresynthesisexhaustedthefacts。ShehadbeenobligedtointroducehimtoGilbert。itwasimpossiblesheshouldnotaskhimtodinner，toherThursdayevenings，ofwhichshehadgrownveryweary，buttowhichherhusbandstillheldforthesakenotsomuchofinvitingpeopleasofnotinvitingthem。
TotheThursdaysMr。Goodwoodcameregularly，solemnly，ratherearly。heappearedtoregardthemwithagooddealofgravity。
Isabeleverynowandthenhadamomentofanger。therewassomethingsoliteralabouthim。shethoughthemightknowthatshedidn’tknowwhattodowithhim。Butshecouldn’tcallhimstupid。hewasnotthatintheleast。hewasonlyextraordinarilyhonest。Tobeashonestasthatmadeamanverydifferentfrommostpeople。onehadtobealmostequallyhonestwithhim。Shemadethislatterreflectionattheverytimeshewasflatteringherselfshehadpersuadedhimthatshewasthemostlight-heartedofwomen。Heneverthrewanydoubtonthispoint，neveraskedheranypersonalquestions。HegotonmuchbetterwithOsmondthanhadseemedprobable。Osmondhadagreatdisliketobeingcountedon。insuchacasehehadanirresistibleneedofdisappointingyou。ItwasinvirtueofthisprinciplethathegavehimselftheentertainmentoftakingafancytoaperpendicularBostonianwhomhehadbeendependedupontotreatwithcoldness。HeaskedIsabelifMr。Goodwoodalsohadwantedtomarryher，andexpressedsurpriseathernothavingacceptedhim。Itwouldhavebeenanexcellentthing，likelivingundersometallbelfrywhichwouldstrikeallthehoursandmakeaqueervibrationintheupperair。HedeclaredhelikedtotalkwiththegreatGoodwood。itwasn’teasyatfirst，youhadtoclimbupaninterminablesteepstaircase，uptothetopofthetower。butwhenyougotthereyouhadabigviewandfeltalittlefreshbreeze。Osmond，asweknow，haddelightfulqualities，andhegaveCasparGoodwoodthebenefitofthemall。IsabelcouldseethatMr。Goodwoodthoughtbetterofherhusbandthanhehadeverwishedto。hehadgivenhertheimpressionthatmorninginFlorenceofbeinginaccessibletoagoodimpression。Gilbertaskedhimrepeatedlytodinner，andMr。Goodwoodsmokedacigarwithhimafterwardsandevendesiredtobeshownhiscollections。GilbertsaidtoIsabelthathewasveryoriginal。hewasasstrongandofasgoodastyleasanEnglishportmanteau-hehadplentyofstrapsandbuckleswhichwouldneverwearout，andacapitalpatentlock。
CasparGoodwoodtooktoridingontheCampagnaanddevotedmuchtimetothisexercise。itwasthereforemainlyintheeveningthatIsabelsawhim。Shebethoughtherselfofsayingtohimonedaythatifhewerewillinghecouldrenderheraservice。Andthensheaddedsmiling：
Idon’tknow，however，whatrightIhavetoaskaserviceofyou。
You’rethepersonintheworldwhohasmostright，heanswered。
I’vegivenyouassurancesthatI’venevergivenanyoneelse。
TheservicewasthatheshouldgoandseehercousinRalph，whowasillattheHoteldeParis，alone，andbeaskindtohimaspossible。Mr。Goodwoodhadneverseenhim，buthewouldknowwhothepoorfellowwas。ifshewasnotmistakenRalphhadonceinvitedhimtoGardencourt。Casparrememberedtheinvitationperfectly，and，thoughhewasnotsupposedtobeamanofimagination，hadenoughtoputhimselfintheplaceofapoorgentlemanwholaydyingataRomaninn。
HecalledattheHoteldeParisand，onbeingshownintothepresenceofthemasterofGardencourt，foundMissStackpolesittingbesidehissofa。Asingularchangehadinfactoccurredinthislady’srelationswithRalphTouchett。ShehadnotbeenaskedbyIsabeltogoandseehim，butonhearingthathewastooilltocomeouthadimmediatelygoneofherownmotion。Afterthisshehadpaidhimadailyvisit-alwaysundertheconvictionthattheyweregreatenemies。Ohyes，we’reintimateenemies，Ralphusedtosay。andheaccusedherfreely-asfreelyasthehumourofitwouldallow-ofcomingtoworryhimtodeath。Inrealitytheybecameexcellentfriends，Henriettamuchwonderingthatsheshouldneverhavelikedhimbefore。Ralphlikedherexactlyasmuchashehadalwaysdone。hehadneverdoubtedforamomentthatshewasanexcellentfellow。
Theytalkedabouteverythingandalwaysdiffered。abouteverything，thatis，butIsabel-atopicastowhichRalphalwayshadathinforefingeronhislips。Mr。Bantlingontheotherhandprovedagreatresource。RalphwascapableofdiscussingMr。BantlingwithHenriettaforhours。Discussionwasstimulatedofcoursebytheirinevitabledifferenceofview-Ralphhavingamusedhimselfwithtakingthegroundthatthegenialex-guardsmanwasaregularMachiavelli。CasparGoodwoodcouldcontributenothingtosuchadebate。butafterhehadbeenleftalonewithhishosthefoundtherewerevariousothermatterstheycouldtakeup。Itmustbeadmittedthattheladywhohadjustgoneoutwasnotoneofthese。
CaspargrantedallMissStackpole’smeritsinadvance，buthadnofurtherremarktomakeabouther。Neither，afterthefirstallusions，didthetwomenexpatiateuponMrs。Osmond-athemeinwhichGoodwoodperceivedasmanydangersasRalph。Hefeltverysorryforthatunclassablepersonage。hecouldn’tbeartoseeapleasantman，sopleasantforallhisqueerness，sobeyondanythingtobedone。Therewasalwayssomethingtobedone，forGoodwood，andhediditinthiscasebyrepeatingseveraltimeshisvisittotheHoteldeParis。ItseemedtoIsabelthatshehadbeenveryclever。shehadartfullydisposedofthesuperfluousCaspar。Shehadgivenhimanoccupation。
shehadconvertedhimintoacaretakerofRalph。Shehadaplanofmakinghimtravelnorthwardwithhercousinassoonasthefirstmildweathershouldallowit。LordWarburtonhadbroughtRalphtoRomeandMr。Goodwoodshouldtakehimaway。Thereseemedahappysymmetryinthis，andshewasnowintenselyeagerthatRalphshoulddepart。Shehadaconstantfearhewoulddietherebeforehereyesandahorroroftheoccurrenceofthiseventataninn，byherdoor，whichhehadsorarelyentered。Ralphmustsinktohislastrestinhisowndearhouse，inoneofthosedeep，dimchambersofGardencourtwherethedarkivywouldclusterroundtheedgesoftheglimmeringwindow。ThereseemedtoIsabelinthesedayssomethingsacredinGardencourt。nochapterofthepastwasmoreperfectlyirrecoverable。Whenshethoughtofthemonthsshehadspenttherethetearsrosetohereyes。Sheflatteredherself，asIsay，uponheringenuity，butshehadneedofallshecouldmuster。forseveraleventsoccurredwhichseemedtoconfrontanddefyher。TheCountessGeminiarrivedfromFlorence-arrivedwithhertrunks，herdresses，herchatter，herfalsehoods，herfrivolity，thestrange，theunholylegendofthenumberofherlovers。EdwardRosier，whohadbeenawaysomewhere-noone，notevenPansy，knewwhere-reappearedinRomeandbegantowriteherlongletters，whichsheneveranswered。MadameMerlereturnedfromNaplesandsaidtoherwithastrangesmile：WhatonearthdidyoudowithLordWarburton？Asifitwereanybusinessofhers！
CHAPTER48
Oneday，towardtheendofFebruary，RalphTouchettmadeuphismindtoreturntoEngland。Hehadhisownreasonsforthisdecision，whichhewasnotboundtocommunicate。butHenriettaStackpole，towhomhementionedhisintention，flatteredherselfthatsheguessedthem。Sheforeboretoexpressthem，however。sheonlysaid，afteramoment，asshesatbyhissofa：
Isupposeyouknowyoucan’tgoalone？
I’venoideaofdoingthat，Ralphanswered。Ishallhavepeoplewithme。
Whatdoyoumeanby’people’？Servantswhomyoupay？
Ah，saidRalphjocosely，afterall，they’rehumanbeings。
Arethereanywomenamongthem？MissStackpoledesiredtoknow。
YouspeakasifIhadadozen！No，IconfessIhaven’tasoubretteinmyemployment。
Well，saidHenriettacalmly，youcan’tgotoEnglandthatway。
Youmusthaveawoman’scare。
I’vehadsomuchofyoursforthepastfortnightthatitwilllastmeagoodwhile。
You’venothadenoughofityet。IguessI’llgowithyou，saidHenrietta。
Gowithme？Ralphslowlyraisedhimselffromhissofa。
Yes，Iknowyoudon’tlikeme，butI’llgowithyouallthesame。
Itwouldbebetterforyourhealthtoliedownagain。
Ralphlookedatheralittle。thenheslowlyrelapsed。Ilikeyouverymuch，hesaidinamoment。
MissStackpolegaveoneofherinfrequentlaughs。Youneedn’tthinkthatbysayingthatyoucanbuymeoff。I’llgowithyou，andwhatismoreI’lltakecareofyou。
You’reaverygoodwoman，saidRalph。
WaittillIgetyousafelyhomebeforeyousaythat。Itwon’tbeeasy。
Butyouhadbettergo，allthesame。
Beforeshelefthim，Ralphsaidtoher：Doyoureallymeantotakecareofme？
Well，Imeantotry。
InotifyyouthenthatIsubmit。Oh，Isubmit！Anditwasperhapsasignofsubmissionthatafewminutesaftershehadlefthimaloneheburstintoaloudfitoflaughter。Itseemedtohimsoinconsequent，suchaconclusiveproofofhishavingabdicatedallfunctionsandrenouncedallexercise，thatheshouldstartonajourneyacrossEuropeunderthesupervisionofMissStackpole。Andthegreatodditywasthattheprospectpleasedhim。hewasgratefully，luxuriouslypassive。Hefeltevenimpatienttostart。andindeedhehadanimmenselongingtoseehisownhouseagain。Theendofeverythingwasathand。itseemedtohimhecouldstretchouthisarmandtouchthegoal。Buthewantedtodieathome。itwastheonlywishhehadleft-toextendhimselfinthelargequietroomwherehehadlastseenhisfatherlie，andclosehiseyesuponthesummerdawn。
ThatsamedayCasparGoodwoodcametoseehim，andheinformedhisvisitorthatMissStackpolehadtakenhimupandwastoconducthimbacktoEngland。Ahthen，saidCaspar，I’mafraidIshallbeafifthwheeltothecoach。Mrs。Osmondhasmademepromisetogowithyou。
Goodheavens-it’sthegoldenage！You’realltookind。
Thekindnessonmypartistoher。it’shardlytoyou。
Grantingthat，she’skind，smiledRalph。
Togetpeopletogowithyou？Yes，that’sasortofkindness，
Goodwoodansweredwithoutlendinghimselftothejoke。Formyself，however，headded，I’llgoasfarastosaythatIwouldmuchrathertravelwithyouandMissStackpolethanwithMissStackpolealone。
Andyou’dratherstayherethandoeither，saidRalph。There’sreallynoneedofyourcoming。Henrietta’sextraordinarilyefficient。
I’msureofthat。ButI’vepromisedMrs。Osmond。
Youcaneasilygethertoletyouoff。
Shewouldn’tletmeofffortheworld。Shewantsmetolookafteryou，butthatisn’ttheprincipalthing。TheprincipalthingisthatshewantsmetoleaveRome。
Ah，youseetoomuchinit，Ralphsuggested。
Iboreher，Goodwoodwenton。shehasnothingtosaytome，sosheinventedthat。
Ohthen，ifit’saconveniencetoherIcertainlywilltakeyouwithme。ThoughIdon’tseewhyitshouldbeaconvenience，Ralphaddedinamoment。
Well，saidCasparGoodwoodsimply，shethinksI’mwatchingher。
Watchingher？
Tryingtomakeoutifshe’shappy。
That’seasytomakeout，saidRalph。She’sthemostvisiblyhappywomanIknow。
Exactlyso。I’msatisfied，Goodwoodanswereddryly。Forallhisdryness，however，hehadmoretosay。I’vebeenwatchingher。IwasanoldfriendanditseemedtomeIhadtheright。Shepretendstobehappy。thatwaswhatsheundertooktobe。andIthoughtIshouldliketoseeformyselfwhatitamountsto。I’veseen，hecontinuedwithaharshringinhisvoice，andIdon’twanttoseeanymore。I’mnowquitereadytogo。
Doyouknowitstrikesmeasabouttimeyoushould？Ralphrejoined。AndthiswastheonlyconversationthesegentlemenhadaboutIsabelOsmond。
Henriettamadeherpreparationsfordeparture，andamongthemshefounditpropertosayafewwordstotheCountessGemini，whoreturnedatMissStackpole’spensionthevisitwhichthisladyhadpaidherinFlorence。
YouwereverywrongaboutLordWarburton，sheremarkedtotheCountess。Ithinkitrightyoushouldknowthat。
AbouthismakinglovetoIsabel？Mypoorlady，hewasatherhousethreetimesaday。Hehaslefttracesofhispassage！theCountesscried。
Hewishedtomarryyourniece。that’swhyhecametothehouse。
TheCountessstared，andthenwithaninconsideratelaugh：IsthatthestorythatIsabeltells？Itisn’tbad，assuchthingsgo。
Ifhewishestomarrymyniece，praywhydoesn’thedoit？Perhapshehasgonetobuythewedding-ringandwillcomebackwithitnextmonth，afterI’mgone。
No，he’llnotcomeback。MissOsmonddoesn’twishtomarryhim。
She’sveryaccommodating！IknewshewasfondofIsabel，butI
didn’tknowshecarrieditsofar。
Idon’tunderstandyou，saidHenriettacoldly，andreflectingthattheCountesswasunpleasantlyperverse。Ireallymuststicktomypoint-thatIsabelneverencouragedtheattentionsofLordWarburton。
Mydearfriend，whatdoyouandIknowaboutit？Allweknowisthatmybrother’scapableofeverything。
Idon’tknowwhatyourbrother’scapableof，saidHenriettawithdignity。
It’snotherencouragingWarburtonthatIcomplainof。it’shersendinghimaway。Iwantparticularlytoseehim。DoyousupposeshethoughtIwouldmakehimfaithless？theCountesscontinuedwithaudaciousinsistence。However，she’sonlykeepinghim，onecanfeelthat。Thehouseisfullofhimthere。he’squiteintheair。Ohyes，hehaslefttraces。I’msureIshallseehimyet。
Well，saidHenriettaafteralittle，withoneofthoseinspirationswhichhadmadethefortuneofherletterstotheInterviewer，perhapshe’llbemoresuccessfulwithyouthanwithIsabel！
WhenshetoldherfriendoftheoffershehadmadeRalphIsabelrepliedthatshecouldhavedonenothingthatwouldhavepleasedhermore。IthadalwaysbeenherfaiththatatbottomRalphandthisyoungwomanweremadetounderstandeachother。Idon’tcarewhetherheunderstandsmeornot，Henriettadeclared。Thegreatthingisthatheshouldn’tdieinthecars。
Hewon’tdothat，Isabelsaid，shakingherheadwithanextensionoffaith。
Hewon’tifIcanhelpit。Iseeyouwantusalltogo。Idon’tknowwhatyouwanttodo。
Iwanttobealone，saidIsabel。
Youwon’tbethatsolongasyou’vesomuchcompanyathome。
Ah，they’repartofthecomedy。Youothersarespectators。
Doyoucallitacomedy，IsabelArcher？Henriettarathergrimlyasked。
Thetragedythenifyoulike。You’realllookingatme。itmakesmeuncomfortable。
Henriettaengagedinthisactforawhile。You’relikethestrickendeer，seekingtheinnermostshade。Oh，youdogivemesuchasenseofhelplessness！shebrokeout。
I’mnotatallhelpless。TherearemanythingsImeantodo。
It’snotyouI’mspeakingof。it’smyself。It’stoomuch，havingcomeonpurpose，toleaveyoujustasIfindyou。
Youdon’tdothat。youleavememuchrefreshed，Isabelsaid。
Verymildrefreshment-sourlemonade！Iwantyoutopromisemesomething。
Ican’tdothat。Ishallnevermakeanotherpromise。Imadesuchasolemnonefouryearsago，andI’vesucceededsoillinkeepingit。
You’vehadnoencouragement。InthiscaseIshouldgiveyouthegreatest。Leaveyourhusbandbeforetheworstcomes。that’swhatI
wantyoutopromise。
Theworst？Whatdoyoucalltheworst？
Beforeyourcharactergetsspoiled。
Doyoumeanmydisposition？Itwon’tgetspoiled，Isabelanswered，smiling。I’mtakingverygoodcareofit。I’mextremelystruck，
sheadded，turningaway，withtheoff-handwayinwhichyouspeakofawoman’sleavingherhusband。It’seasytoseeyou’veneverhadone！
Well，saidHenriettaasifshewerebeginninganargument，nothingismorecommoninourWesterncities，andit’stothem，afterall，thatwemustlookinthefuture。Herargument，however，doesnotconcernthishistory，whichhastoomanyotherthreadstounwind。
SheannouncedtoRalphTouchettthatshewasreadytoleaveRomebyanytrainhemightdesignate，andRalphimmediatelypulledhimselftogetherfordeparture。Isabelwenttoseehimatthelast，andhemadethesameremarkthatHenriettahadmade。ItstruckhimthatIsabelwasuncommonlygladtogetridofthemall。
Forallanswertothisshegentlylaidherhandonhis，andsaidinalowtone，withaquicksmile：MydearRalph-！
Itwasanswerenough，andhewasquitecontented。Buthewentoninthesameway，jocosely，ingenuously：I’veseenlessofyouthanImight，butit’sbetterthannothing。AndthenI’veheardagreatdealaboutyou。
Idon’tknowfromwhom，leadingthelifeyou’vedone。
Fromthevoicesoftheair！Oh，fromnooneelse。Ineverletotherpeoplespeakofyou。Theyalwayssayyou’re’charming，’andthat’ssoflat。
Imighthaveseenmoreofyoucertainly，Isabelsaid。Butwhenone’smarriedonehassomuchoccupation。
FortunatelyI’mnotmarried。WhenyoucometoseemeinEnglandI
shallbeabletoentertainyouwithallthefreedomofabachelor。Hecontinuedtotalkasiftheyshouldcertainlymeetagain，andsucceededinmakingtheassumptionappearalmostjust。Hemadenoallusiontohistermbeingnear，totheprobabilitythatheshouldnotoutlastthesummer。Ifhepreferreditso，Isabelwaswillingenough。therealitywassufficientlydistinctwithouttheirerectingfinger-postsinconversation。Thathadbeenwellenoughfortheearliertime，thoughaboutthis，asabouthisotheraffairs，Ralphhadneverbeenegotistic。Isabelspokeofhisjourney，ofthestagesintowhichheshoulddivideit，oftheprecautionsheshouldtake。
Henrietta’smygreatestprecaution，hewenton。Theconscienceofthatwoman’ssublime。
Certainlyshe’llbeveryconscientious。
Willbe？Shehasbeen！It’sonlybecauseshethinksit’sherdutythatshegoeswithme。There’saconceptionofdutyforyou。
Yes，it’sagenerousone，saidIsabel，anditmakesmedeeplyashamed。
Ioughttogowithyou，youknow。
Yourhusbandwouldn’tlikethat。
No，hewouldn’tlikeit。ButImightgo，allthesame。
I’mstartledbytheboldnessofyourimagination。Fancymybeingacauseofdisagreementbetweenaladyandherhusband！
That’swhyIdon’tgo，saidIsabelsimply-yetnotverylucidly。
Ralphunderstoodwellenough，however。Ishouldthinkso，withallthoseoccupationsyouspeakof。
Itisn’tthat。I’mafraid，saidIsabel。Afterapausesherepeated，asiftomakeherself，ratherthanhim，hearthewords：I’mafraid。
Ralphcouldhardlytellwhathertonemeant。itwassostrangelydeliberate-apparentlysovoidofemotion。Didshewishtodopublicpenanceforafaultofwhichshehadnotbeenconvicted？orwereherwordssimplyanattemptatenlightenedself-analysis？Howeverthismightbe，Ralphcouldnotresistsoeasyanopportunity。Afraidofyourhusband？
Afraidofmyself！shesaid，gettingup。Shestoodthereamomentandthenadded：IfIwereafraidofmyhusbandthatwouldbesimplymyduty。That’swhatwomenareexpectedtobe。
Ahyes，laughedRalph。buttomakeupforitthere’salwayssomemanawfullyafraidofsomewoman！
Shegavenoheedtothispleasantry，butsuddenlytookadifferentturn。WithHenriettaattheheadofyourlittleband，sheexclaimedabruptly，therewillbenothingleftforMr。Goodwood！
Ah，mydearIsabel，Ralphanswered，he’susedtothat。ThereisnothingleftforMr。Goodwood。
Shecolouredandthenobserved，quickly，thatshemustleavehim。
Theystoodtogetheramoment。bothherhandswereinbothofhis。
You’vebeenmybestfriend，shesaid。
ItwasforyouthatIwanted-thatIwantedtolive。ButI’mofnousetoyou。
Thenitcameoverhermorepoignantlythatsheshouldnotseehimagain。Shecouldnotacceptthat。shecouldnotpartwithhimthatway。IfyoushouldsendformeI’dcome，shesaidatlast。
Yourhusbandwon’tconsenttothat。
Ohyes，Icanarrangeit。
Ishallkeepthatformylastpleasure！saidRalph。
Inanswertowhichshesimplykissedhim。ItwasaThursday，andthateveningCasparGoodwoodcametoPalazzoRoccanera。Hewasamongthefirsttoarrive，andhespentsometimeinconversationwithGilbertOsmond，whoalmostalwayswaspresentwhenhiswifereceived。Theysatdowntogether，andOsmond，talkative，communicative，expansive，seemedpossessedwithakindofintellectualgaiety。Heleanedbackwithhislegscrossed，loungingandchatting，whileGoodwood，morerestless，butnotatalllively，shiftedhisposition，playedwithhishat，madethelittlesofacreakbeneathhim。
Osmond’sfaceworeasharp，aggressivesmile。hewasasamanwhoseperceptionshavebeenquickenedbygoodnews。HeremarkedtoGoodwoodthathewassorrytheyweretolosehim。hehimselfshouldparticularlymisshim。Hesawsofewintelligentmen-theyweresurprisinglyscarceinRome。Hemustbesuretocomeback。therewassomethingveryrefreshing，toaninveterateItalianlikehimself，intalkingwithagenuineoutsider。
I’mveryfondofRome，youknow，Osmondsaid，butthere’snothingIlikebetterthantomeetpeoplewhohaven’tthatsuperstition。Themodernworld’safterallveryfine。Nowyou’rethoroughlymodernandyetarenotatallcommon。Somanyofthemodernsweseearesuchverypoorstuff。Ifthey’rethechildrenofthefuturewe’rewillingtodieyoung。Ofcoursetheancientstooareoftenverytiresome。MywifeandIlikeeverythingthat’sreallynew-notthemerepretenceofit。
There’snothingnew，unfortunately，inignoranceandstupidity。Weseeplentyofthatinformsthatofferthemselvesasarevelationofprogress，offight。Arevelationofvulgarity！There’sacertainkindofvulgaritywhichIbelieveisreallynew。Idon’tthinkthereeverwasanythinglikeitbefore。IndeedIdon’tfindvulgarity，atall，beforethepresentcentury。Youseeafaintmenaceofithereandthereinthelast，butto-daytheairhasgrownsodensethatdelicatethingsareliterallynotrecognized。Now，we’velikedyou-！Withwhichhehesitatedamoment，layinghishandgentlyonGoodwood’skneeandsmilingwithamixtureofassuranceandembarrassment。I’mgoingtosaysomethingextremelyoffensiveandpatronizing，butyoumustletmehavethesatisfactionofit。We’velikedyoubecause-becauseyou’vereconciledusalittletothefuture。Iftherearetobeacertainnumberofpeoplelikeyou-alabonneheure！I’mtalkingformywifeaswellasformyself，yousee。Shespeaksforme，mywife。whyshouldn’tIspeakforher？We’reasunited，youknow，asthecandlestickandthesnuffers。AmIassumingtoomuchwhenIsaythatIthinkI’veunderstoodfromyouthatyouroccupationshavebeen-a-commercial？There’sadangerinthat，youknow。butit’sthewayyouhaveescapedthatstrikesus。Excusemeifmylittlecomplimentseemsinexecrabletaste。fortunatelymywifedoesn’thearme。WhatImeanisthatyoumighthavebeen-a-whatI
wasmentioningjustnow。ThewholeAmericanworldwasinaconspiracytomakeyouso。Butyouresisted，you’vesomethingaboutyouthatsavedyou。Andyetyou’resomodern，somodern。themostmodernmanweknow！Weshallalwaysbedelightedtoseeyouagain。
IhavesaidthatOsmondwasingoodhumour，andtheseremarkswillgiveampleevidenceofthefact。Theywereinfinitelymorepersonalthanheusuallycaredtobe，andifCasparGoodwoodhadattendedtothemmorecloselyhemighthavethoughtthatthedefenceofdelicacywasinratheroddhands。Wemaybelieve，however，thatOsmondknewverywellwhathewasabout，andthatifhechosetousethetoneofpatronagewithagrossnessnotinhishabitshehadanexcellentreasonfortheescapade。Goodwoodhadonlyavaguesensethathewaslayingitonsomehow。hescarcelyknewwherethemixturewasapplied。IndeedhescarcelyknewwhatOsmondwastalkingabout。hewantedtobealonewithIsabel，andthatideaspokeloudertohimthanherhusband’sperfectly-pitchedvoice。Hewatchedhertalkingwithotherpeopleandwonderedwhenshewouldbeatlibertyandwhetherhemightaskhertogointooneoftheotherrooms。Hishumourwasnot，likeOsmond’s，ofthebest。therewasanelementofdullrageinhisconsciousnessofthings。UptothistimehehadnotdislikedOsmondpersonally。hehadonlythoughthimverywell-informedandobligingandmorethanhehadsupposedlikethepersonwhomIsabelArcherwouldnaturallymarry。Hishosthadwonintheopenfieldagreatadvantageoverhim，andGoodwoodhadtoostrongasenseoffairplaytohavebeenmovedtounderratehimonthataccount。Hehadnottriedpositivelytothinkwellofhim。thiswasaflightofsentimentalbenevolenceofwhich，eveninthedayswhenhecamenearesttoreconcilinghimselftowhathadhappened，Goodwoodwasquiteincapable。Heacceptedhimasratherabrilliantpersonageoftheamateurishkind，afflictedwitharedundancyofleisurewhichitamusedhimtoworkoffinlittlerefinementsofconversation。Butheonlyhalftrustedhim。hecouldnevermakeoutwhythedeuceOsmondshouldlavishrefinementsofanysortuponhim。Itmadehimsuspectthathefoundsomeprivateentertainmentinit，anditministeredtoageneralimpressionthathistriumphantrivalhadinhiscompositionastreakofperversity。HeknewindeedthatOsmondcouldhavenoreasontowishhimevil。hehadnothingtofearfromhim。Hehadcarriedoffasupremeadvantageandcouldaffordtobekindtoamanwhohadlosteverything。ItwastruethatGoodwoodhadattimesgrimlywishedheweredeadandwouldhavelikedtokillhim。butOsmondhadnomeansofknowingthis，forpracticehadmadetheyoungermanperfectintheartofappearinginaccessibleto-daytoanyviolentemotion。Hecultivatedthisartinordertodeceivehimself，butitwasothersthathedeceivedfirst。Hecultivatedit，moreover，withverylimitedsuccess。ofwhichtherecouldbenobetterproofthanthedeep，dumbirritationthatreignedinhissoulwhenheheardOsmondspeakofhiswife’sfeelingsasifhewerecommissionedtoanswerforthem。
Thatwasallhehadhadanearforinwhathishostsaidtohimthisevening。hehadbeenconsciousthatOsmondmademoreofapointeventhanusualofreferringtotheconjugalharmonyprevailingatPalazzoRoccanera。HehadbeenmorecarefulthanevertospeakasifheandhiswifehadallthingsinsweetcommunityanditwereasnaturaltoeachofthemtosayweastosayI。InallthistherewasanairofintentionthathadpuzzledandangeredourpoorBostonian，whocouldonlyreflectforhiscomfortthatMrs。Osmond’srelationswithherhusbandwerenoneofhisbusiness。Hehadnoproofwhateverthatherhusbandmisrepresentedher，andifhejudgedherbythesurfaceofthingswasboundtobelievethatshelikedherlife。Shehadnevergivenhimthefaintestsignofdiscontent。MissStackpolehadtoldhimthatshehadlostherillusions，butwritingforthepapershadmadeMissStackpolesensational。Shewastoofondofearlynews。Moreover，sinceherarrivalinRomeshehadbeenmuchonherguard。shehadprettywellceasedtoflashherlanternathim。Thisindeed，itmaybesaidforher，wouldhavebeenquiteagainstherconscience。ShehadnowseentherealityofIsabel’ssituation，andithadinspiredherwithajustreserve。Whatevercouldbedonetoimproveitthemostusefulformofassistancewouldnotbetoinflameherformerloverswithasenseofherwrongs。MissStackpolecontinuedtotakeadeepinterestinthestateofMr。
Goodwood’sfeelings，butsheshoweditatpresentonlybysendinghimchoiceextracts，humorousandother，fromtheAmericanjournals，ofwhichshereceivedseveralbyeverypostandwhichshealwaysperusedwithapairofscissorsinherhand。ThearticlesshecutoutsheplacedinanenvelopeaddressedtoMr。Goodwood，whichsheleftwithherownhandathishotel。HeneveraskedheraquestionaboutIsabel：hadn’thecomefivethousandmilestoseeforhimself？
HewasthusnotintheleastauthorizedtothinkMrs。Osmondunhappy。buttheveryabsenceofauthorizationoperatedasanirritant，ministeredtotheharshnesswithwhich，inspiteofhistheorythathehadceasedtocare，henowrecognizedthat，sofarasshewasconcerned，thefuturehadnothingmoreforhim。Hehadnoteventhesatisfactionofknowingthetruth。apparentlyhecouldnotevenbetrustedtorespectherifshewereunhappy。Hewashopeless，helpless，useless。TothislastcharactershehadcalledhisattentionbyheringeniousplanformakinghimleaveRome。Hehadnoobjectionwhatevertodoingwhathecouldforhercousin，butitmadehimgrindhisteethtothinkthatofalltheservicesshemighthaveaskedofhimthiswastheoneshehadbeeneagertoselect。TherehadbeennodangerofherchoosingonethatwouldhavekepthiminRome。
To-nightwhathewaschieflythinkingofwasthathewastoleave-herto-morrowandthathehadgainednothingbycomingbuttheknowledgethathewasaslittlewantedasever。Aboutherselfhehadgainednoknowledge。shewasimperturbable，inscrutable，impenetrable。
Hefelttheoldbitterness，whichhehadtriedsohardtoswallow，riseagaininhisthroat，andheknewtherearedisappointmentsthatlastaslongaslife。Osmondwentontalking。Goodwoodwasvaguelyawarethathewastouchingagainuponhisperfectintimacywithhiswife。Itseemedtohimforamomentthatthemanhadakindofdemonicimagination。itwasimpossiblethatwithoutmaliceheshouldhaveselectedsounusualatopic。Butwhatdiditmatter，afterall，whetherheweredemonicornot，andwhethershelovedhimorhatedhim？Shemighthatehimtothedeathwithoutone’sgainingastrawone’sself。Youtravel，bytheby，withRalphTouchett，Osmondsaid。
Isupposethatmeansyou’llmoveslowly？
Idon’tknow。Ishalldojustashelikes。
You’reveryaccommodating。We’reimmenselyobligedtoyou。youmustreallyletmesayit。Mywifehasprobablyexpressedtoyouwhatwefeel。Touchetthasbeenonourmindsallwinter。ithaslookedmorethanonceasifhewouldneverleaveRome。Heoughtnevertohavecome。it’sworsethananimprudenceforpeopleinthatstatetotravel。it’sakindofindelicacy。Iwouldn’tfortheworldbeundersuchanobligationtoTouchettashehasbeento-tomywifeandme。
Otherpeopleinevitablyhavetolookafterhim，andeveryoneisn’tsogenerousasyou。
I’venothingelsetodo，Casparsaiddryly。
Osmondlookedathimamomentaskance。Yououghttomarry，andthenyou’dhaveplentytodo！It’struethatinthatcaseyouwouldn’tbequitesoavailablefordeedsofmercy。
Doyoufindthatasamarriedmanyou’resomuchoccupied？theyoungmanmechanicallyasked。
Ah，yousee，beingmarried’sinitselfanoccupation。Itisn’talwaysactive。it’softenpassive。butthattakesevenmoreattention。
ThenmywifeandIdosomanythingstogether。Weread，westudy，wemakemusic，wewalk，wedrive-wetalkeven，aswhenwefirstkneweachother。Idelight，tothishour，inmywife’sconversation。Ifyou’reeverboredtakemyadviceandgetmarried。Yourwifeindeedmayboreyou，inthatcase。butyou’llneverboreyourself。You’llalwayshavesomethingtosaytoyourself-alwayshaveasubjectofreflection。
I’mnotbored，saidGoodwood。I’veplentytothinkaboutandtosaytomyself。
Morethantosaytoothers！Osmondexclaimedwithalightlaugh。
Whereshallyougonext？Imeanafteryou’veconsignedTouchetttohisnaturalcaretakers-Ibelievehismother’satlastcomingbacktolookafterhim。Thatlittlelady’ssuperb。sheneglectsherdutieswithafinish-！Perhapsyou’llspendthesummerinEngland？
Idon’tknow。I’venoplans。
Happyman！That’salittlebleak，butit’sveryfree。
Ohyes，I’mveryfree。
FreetocomebacktoRomeIhope，saidOsmondashesawagroupofnewvisitorsentertheroom。Rememberthatwhenyoudocomewecountonyou！
Goodwoodhadmeanttogoawayearly，buttheeveningelapsedwithouthishavingachancetospeaktoIsabelotherwisethanasoneofseveralassociatedinterlocutors。Therewassomethingperverseintheinveteracywithwhichsheavoidedhim。hisunquenchablerancourdiscoveredanintentionwheretherewascertainlynoappearanceofone。Therewasabsolutelynoappearanceofone。Shemethiseyeswithherclearhospitablesmile，whichseemedalmosttoaskthathewouldcomeandhelphertoentertainsomeofhervisitors。Tosuchsuggestions，however，heopposedbutastiffimpatience。Hewanderedaboutandwaited。hetalkedtothefewpeopleheknew，whofoundhimforthefirsttimeratherself-contradictory。ThiswasindeedrarewithCasparGoodwood，thoughheoftencontradictedothers。TherewasoftenmusicatPalazzoRoccanera，anditwasusuallyverygood。
Undercoverofthemusichemanagedtocontainhimself。buttowardtheend，whenhesawthepeoplebeginningtogo，hedrewneartoIsabelandaskedherinalowtoneifhemightnotspeaktoherinoneoftheotherrooms，whichhehadjustassuredhimselfwasempty。Shesmiledasifshewishedtoobligehimbutfoundherselfabsolutelyprevented。
I’mafraidit’simpossible。Peoplearesayinggood-night，andI
mustbewheretheycanseeme。
Ishallwaittilltheyareallgonethen。
Shehesitatedamoment。
Ah，thatwillbedelightful！sheexclaimed。
Andhewaited，thoughittookalongtimeyet。Therewereseveralpeople，attheend，whoseemedtetheredtothecarpet。TheCountessGemini，whowasneverherselftillmidnight，asshesaid，displayednoconsciousnessthattheentertainmentwasover。shehadstillalittlecircleofgentlemeninfrontofthefire，whoeverynowandthenbrokeintoaunitedlaugh。Osmondhaddisappeared-heneverbadegood-byetopeople。andastheCountesswasextendingherrange，accordingtohercustomatthisperiodoftheevening，IsabelsentPansytobed。Isabelsatalittleapart。shetooappearedtowishhersister-in-lawwouldsoundalowernoteandletthelastloiterersdepartinpeace。
MayInotsayawordtoyounow？Goodwoodpresentlyaskedher。
Shegotupimmediately，smiling。Certainly，we’llgosomewhereelseifyoulike。Theywenttogether，leavingtheCountesswithherlittlecircle，andforamomentaftertheyhadcrossedthethresholdneitherofthemspoke。Isabelwouldnotsitdown。shestoodinthemiddleoftheroomslowlyfanningherself。shehadforhimthesamefamiliargrace。Sheseemedtowaitforhimtospeak。Nowthathewasalonewithherallthepassionhehadneverstifledsurgedintohissenses。ithummedinhiseyesandmadethingsswimroundhim。Thebright，emptyroomgrewdimandblurred，andthroughtheheavingveilhefeltherhoverbeforehimwithgleamingeyesandpartedlips。Ifhehadseenmoredistinctlyhewouldhaveperceivedhersmilewasfixedandatrifleforced-thatshewasfrightenedatwhatshesawinhisownface。Isupposeyouwishtobidmegood-bye？shesaid。
Yes-butIdon’tlikeit。Idon’twanttoleaveRome，heansweredwithalmostplaintivehonesty。
Icanwellimagine。It’swonderfullygoodofyou。Ican’ttellyouhowkindIthinkyou。
Foramomentmorehesaidnothing。Withafewwordslikethatyoumakemego。
Youmustcomebacksomeday，shebrightlyreturned。Someday？Youmeanaslongatimehenceaspossible。Ohno。Idon’tmeanallthat。
Whatdoyoumean？Idon’tunderstand！ButIsaidI’dgo，andI’llgo，
Goodwoodadded。
Comebackwheneveryoulike，saidIsabelwithattemptedlightness。
Idon’tcareastrawforyourcousin！Casparbrokeout。
Isthatwhatyouwishedtotellme？
No，no。Ididn’twanttotellyouanything。Iwantedtoaskyou-
hepausedamoment，andthen-whathaveyoureallymadeofyourlife？
hesaid，inalow，quicktone。Hepausedagain，asifforananswer。
butshesaidnothing，andhewenton：Ican’tunderstand，Ican’tpenetrateyou！WhatamItobelieve-whatdoyouwantmetothink？
Stillshesaidnothing。sheonlystoodlookingathim，nowquitewithoutpretendingtoease。I’mtoldyou’reunhappy，andifyouareI
shouldliketoknowit。Thatwouldbesomethingforme。Butyouyourselfsayyou’rehappy，andyou’resomehowsostill，sosmooth，sohard。You’recompletelychanged。Youconcealeverything。I
haven’treallycomenearyou。
Youcomeverynear，Isabelsaidgently，butinatoneofwarning。
AndyetIdon’ttouchyou！Iwanttoknowthetruth。Haveyoudonewell？
Youaskagreatdeal。
Yes-I’vealwaysaskedagreatdeal。Ofcourseyouwon’ttellme。
Ishallneverknowifyoucanhelpit。Andthenit’snoneofmybusiness。Hehadspokenwithavisibleefforttocontrolhimself，togiveaconsiderateformtoaninconsideratestateofmind。Butthesensethatitwashislastchance，thathelovedherandhadlosther，thatshewouldthinkhimafoolwhateverheshouldsay，suddenlygavehimalashandaddedadeepvibrationtohislowvoice。You’reperfectlyinscrutable，andthat’swhatmakesmethinkyou’vesomethingtohide。ItellyouIdon’tcareastrawforyourcousin，butIdon’tmeanthatIdon’tlikehim。Imeanthatitisn’tbecauseIlikehimthatIgoawaywithhim。I’dgoifhewereanidiotandyoushouldhaveaskedme。IfyoushouldaskmeI’dgotoSiberiato-morrow。Whydoyouwantmetoleavetheplace？Youmusthavesomereasonforthat。ifyouwereascontentedasyoupretendyouareyouwouldn’tcare。I’dratherknowthetruthaboutyou，evenifit’sdamnable，thanhavecomeherefornothing。Thatisn’twhatIcamefor。
IthoughtIshouldn’tcare。IcamebecauseIwantedtoassuremyselfthatIneedn’tthinkofyouanymore。Ihaven’tthoughtofanythingelse，andyou’requiterighttowishmetogoaway。ButifImustgo，there’snoharminmylettingmyselfoutforasinglemoment，isthere？Ifyou’rereallyhurt-ifhehurtsyou-nothingIsaywillhurtyou。WhenItellyouIloveyouit’ssimplywhatIcamefor。Ithoughtitwasforsomethingelse。butitwasforthat。Ishouldn’tsayitifIdidn’tbelieveIshouldneverseeyouagain。It’sthelasttime-letmepluckasingleflower！I’venorighttosaythat，I
know。andyou’venorighttolisten。Butyoudon’tlisten。youneverlisten，you’realwaysthinkingofsomethingelse。AfterthisImustgo，ofcourse。soIshallatleasthaveareason。Youraskingmeisnoreason，notarealone。Ican’tjudgebyyourhusband，hewentonirrelevantly，almostincoherently。Idon’tunderstandhim。hetellsmeyouadoreeachother。Whydoeshetellmethat？Whatbusinessisitofmine？WhenIsaythattoyou，youlookstrange。Butyoualwayslookstrange。Yes，you’vesomethingtohide。It’snoneofmybusiness-verytrue。ButIloveyou，saidCasparGoodwood。
Ashesaid，shelookedstrange。Sheturnedhereyestothedoorbywhichtheyhadenteredandraisedherfanasifinwarning。You’vebehavedsowell。don’tspoilit，sheutteredsoftly。
Noonehearsme。It’swonderfulwhatyoutriedtoputmeoffwith。IloveyouasI’veneverlovedyou。
Iknowit。Iknewitassoonasyouconsentedtogo。
Youcan’thelpit-ofcoursenot。Youwouldifyoucould，butyoucan’t，unfortunately。Unfortunatelyforme，Imean。Iasknothing-nothing，thatis，Ishouldn’t。ButIdoaskonesolesatisfaction：thatyoutellme-thatyoutellme-！
ThatItellyouwhat？
WhetherImaypityyou。
Shouldyoulikethat？Isabelasked，tryingtosmileagain。
Topityyou？Mostassuredly！Thatatleastwouldbedoingsomething。
I’dgivemylifetoit。
Sheraisedherfantoherface，whichitcoveredallexcepthereyes。Theyrestedamomentonhis。Don’tgiveyourlifetoit。butgiveathoughttoiteverynowandthen。AndwiththatshewentbacktotheCountessGemini。
CHAPTER49
MadameMerlehadnotmadeherappearanceatPalazzoRoccaneraontheeveningofthatThursdayofwhichIhavenarratedsomeoftheincidents，andIsabel，thoughsheobservedherabsence，wasnotsurprisedbyit。Thingshadpassedbetweenthemwhichaddednostimulustosociability，andtoappreciatewhichwemustglancealittlebackward。IthasbeenmentionedthatMadameMerlereturnedfromNaplesshortlyafterLordWarburtonhadleftRome，andthatonherfirstmeetingwithIsabelwhom，todoherjustice，shecameimmediatelytoseeherfirstutterancehadbeenanenquiryastothewhereaboutsofthisnobleman，forwhomsheappearedtoholdherdearfriendaccountable。
Pleasedon’ttalkofhim，saidIsabelforanswer。we’veheardsomuchofhimoflate。
MadameMerlebentherheadononesidealittle，protestingly，andsmiledattheleftcornerofhermouth。You’veheard，yes。ButyoumustrememberthatI’venot，inNaples。IhopedtofindhimhereandtobeabletocongratulatePansy。
YoumaycongratulatePansystill。butnotonmarryingLordWarburton。
Howyousaythat！Don’tyouknowIhadsetmyheartonit？
MadameMerleaskedwithagreatdealofspirit，butstillwiththeintonationofgoodhumour。
Isabelwasdiscomposed，butshewasdeterminedtobegood-humouredtoo。Youshouldn’thavegonetoNaplesthen。Youshouldhavestayedheretowatchtheaffair。
Ihadtoomuchconfidenceinyou。Butdoyouthinkit’stoolate？
YouhadbetteraskPansy，saidIsabel。
Ishallaskherwhatyou’vesaidtoher。
Thesewordsseemedtojustifytheimpulseofself-defencearousedonIsabel’spartbyherperceivingthathervisitor’sattitudewasacriticalone。MadameMerle，asweknow，hadbeenverydiscreethitherto。shehadnevercriticized。shehadbeenmarkedlyafraidofintermeddling。Butapparentlyshehadonlyreservedherselfforthisoccasion，sinceshenowhadadangerousquicknessinhereyeandanairofirritationwhichevenheradmirableeasewasnotabletotransmute。ShehadsufferedadisappointmentwhichexcitedIsabel’ssurprise-ourheroinehavingnoknowledgeofherzealousinterestinPansy’smarriage。andshebetrayeditinamannerwhichquickenedMrs。
Osmond’salarm。MoreclearlythaneverbeforeIsabelheardacold，mockingvoiceproceedfromsheknewnotwhere，inthedimvoidthatsurroundedher，anddeclarethatthisbright，strong，definite，worldlywoman，thisincarnationofthepractical，thepersonal，theimmediate，wasapowerfulagentinherdestiny。ShewasnearertoherthanIsabelhadyetdiscovered，andhernearnesswasnotthecharmingaccidentshehadsolongsupposed。Thesenseofaccidentindeedhaddiedwithinherthatdaywhenshehappenedtobestruckwiththemannerinwhichthewonderfulladyandherownhusbandsattogetherinprivate。Nodefinitesuspicionhadasyettakenitsplace。
butitwasenoughtomakeherviewthisfriendwithadifferenteye，tohavebeenledtoreflectthattherewasmoreintentioninherpastbehaviourthanshehadallowedforatthetime。Ahyes，therehadbeenintention，therehadbeenintention，Isabelsaidtoherself。
andsheseemedtowakefromalongperniciousdream。WhatwasitthatbroughthometoherthatMadameMerle’sintentionhadnotbeengood？Nothingbutthemistrustwhichhadlatelytakenbodyandwhichmarrieditselfnowtothefruitfulwonderproducedbyhervisitor’schallengeonbehalfofpoorPansy。Therewassomethinginthischallengewhichhadattheveryoutsetexcitedanansweringdefiance。anamelessvitalitywhichshecouldseetohavebeenabsentfromherfriend’sprofessionsofdelicacyandcaution。MadameMerlehadbeenunwillingtointerfere，certainly，butonlysolongastherewasnothingtointerferewith。ItwillperhapsseemtothereaderthatIsabelwentfastincastingdoubt，onmeresuspicion，onasincerityprovedbyseveralyearsofgoodoffices。Shemovedquicklyindeed，andwithreason，forastrangetruthwasfilteringintohersoul。MadameMerle’sinterestwasidenticalwithOsmond’s：thatwasenough。IthinkPansywilltellyounothingthatwillmakeyoumoreangry，shesaidinanswertohercompanion’slastremark。
I’mnotintheleastangry。I’veonlyagreatdesiretoretrievethesituation。DoyouconsiderthatWarburtonhasleftusforever？
Ican’ttellyou。Idon’tunderstandyou。It’sallover。pleaseletitrest。Osmondhastalkedtomeagreatdealaboutit，andI’venothingmoretosayortohear。I’venodoubt，Isabeladded，thathe’llbeveryhappytodiscussthesubjectwithyou。
Iknowwhathethinks。hecametoseemelastevening。
Assoonasyouhadarrived？Thenyouknowallaboutitandyouneedn’tapplytomeforinformation。
Itisn’tinformationIwant。Atbottomit’ssympathy。Ihadsetmyheartonthatmarriage。theideadidwhatsofewthingsdo-itsatisfiedtheimagination。
Yourimagination，yes。Butnotthatofthepersonsconcerned。
YoumeanbythatofcoursethatI’mnotconcerned。Ofcoursenotdirectly。Butwhenone’ssuchanoldfriendonecan’thelphavingsomethingatstake。YouforgethowlongI’veknownPansy。Youmean，ofcourse，MadameMerleadded，thatyouareoneofthepersonsconcerned。
No。that’sthelastthingImean。I’mverywearyofitall。
MadameMerlehesitatedalittle。Ahyes，yourwork’sdone。
Takecarewhatyousay，saidIsabelverygravely。
Oh，Itakecare。neverperhapsmorethanwhenitappearsleast。
Yourhusbandjudgesyouseverely。
Isabelmadeforamomentnoanswertothis。shefeltchokedwithbitterness。ItwasnottheinsolenceofMadameMerle’sinformingherthatOsmondhadbeentakingherintohisconfidenceasagainsthiswifethatstruckhermost。forshewasnotquicktobelievethatthiswasmeantforinsolence。MadameMerlewasveryrarelyinsolent，andonlywhenitwasexactlyright。Itwasnotrightnow，oratleastitwasnotrightyet。WhattouchedIsabellikeadropofcorrosiveaciduponanopenwoundwastheknowledgethatOsmonddishonouredherinhiswordsaswellasinhisthoughts。ShouldyouliketoknowhowIjudgehim？sheaskedatlast。
No，becauseyou’dnevertellme。Anditwouldbepainfulformetoknow。
Therewasapause，andforthefirsttimesinceshehadknownherIsabelthoughtMadameMerledisagreeable。Shewishedshewouldleaveher。RememberhowattractivePansyis，anddon’tdespair，shesaidabruptly，withadesirethatthisshouldclosetheirinterview。
ButMadameMerle’sexpansivepresenceunderwentnocontraction。
Sheonlygatheredhermantleaboutherand，withthemovement，scatteredupontheairafaint，agreeablefragrance。Idon’tdespair。
Ifeelencouraged。AndIdidn’tcometoscoldyou。Icameifpossibletolearnthetruth。Iknowyou’lltellitifIaskyou。
It’sanimmenseblessingwithyouthatonecancountuponthat。No，youwon’tbelievewhatacomfortItakeinit。
Whattruthdoyouspeakof？Isabelasked，wondering。
Justthis：whetherLordWarburtonchangedhismindquiteofhisownmovementorbecauseyourecommendedit。TopleasehimselfImean，ortopleaseyou。ThinkoftheconfidenceImuststillhaveinyou，inspiteofhavinglostalittleofit，MadameMerlecontinuedwithasmile，toasksuchaquestionasthat！Shesatlookingatherfriend，tojudgetheeffectofherwords，andthenwenton：Nowdon’tbeheroic，don’tbeunreasonable，don’ttakeoffence。ItseemstomeI
doyouanhonourinspeakingso。Idon’tknowanotherwomantowhomIwoulddoit。Ihaven’ttheleastideathatanyotherwomanwouldtellmethetruth。Anddon’tyouseehowwellitisthatyourhusbandshouldknowit？It’struethathedoesn’tappeartohavehadanytactwhateverintryingtoextractit。hehasindulgedingratuitoussuppositions。Butthatdoesn’talterthefactthatitwouldmakeadifferenceinhisviewofhisdaughter’sprospectstoknowdistinctlywhatreallyoccurred。IfLordWarburtonsimplygottiredofthepoorchild，that’sonething，andit’sapity。Ifhegaveheruptopleaseyouit’sanother。That’sapitytoo，butinadifferentway。
Then，inthelattercase，you’dperhapsresignyourselftonotbeingpleased-tosimplyseeingyourstepdaughtermarried。Lethimoff-letushavehim！
MadameMerlehadproceededverydeliberately，watchinghercompanionandapparentlythinkingshecouldproceedsafely。AsshewentonIsabelgrewpale。sheclaspedherhandsmoretightlyinherlap。Itwasnotthathervisitorhadatlastthoughtittherighttimetobeinsolent。forthiswasnotwhatwasmostapparent。Itwasaworsehorrorthanthat。Whoareyou-whatareyou？Isabelmurmured。Whathaveyoutodowithmyhusband？Itwasstrangethatforthemomentshedrewasneartohimasifshehadlovedhim。
Ahthen，youtakeitheroically！I’mverysorry。Don’tthink，however，thatIshalldoso。
Whathaveyoutodowithme？Isabelwenton。
MadameMerleslowlygotup，strokinghermuff，butnotremovinghereyesfromIsabel’sface。Everything！sheanswered。
Isabelsattherelookingupather，withoutrising。herfacewasalmostaprayertobeenlightened。Butthelightofthiswoman’seyesseemedonlyadarkness。Ohmisery！shemurmuredatlast。andshefellback，coveringherfacewithherhands。Ithadcomeoverherlikeahigh-surgingwavethatMrs。Touchettwasright。MadameMerlehadmarriedher。Beforesheuncoveredherfaceagainthatladyhadlefttheroom。
Isabeltookadrivealonethatafternoon。shewishedtobefaraway，underthesky，whereshecoulddescendfromhercarriageandtreaduponthedaisies。ShehadlongbeforethistakenoldRomeintoherconfidence，forinaworldofruinstheruinofherhappinessseemedalessunnaturalcatastrophe。Sherestedherwearinessuponthingsthathadcrumbledforcenturiesandyetstillwereupright。shedroppedhersecretsadnessintothesilenceoflonelyplaces，whereitsverymodernqualitydetacheditselfandgrewobjective，sothatasshesatinasun-warmedangleonawinter’sday，orstoodinamouldychurchtowhichnoonecame，shecouldalmostsmileatitandthinkofitssmallness。Smallitwas，inthelargeRomanrecord，andherhauntingsenseofthecontinuityofthehumanloteasilycarriedherfromthelesstothegreater。Shehadbecomedeeply，tenderlyacquaintedwithRome。itinterfusedandmoderatedherpassion。Butshehadgrowntothinkofitchieflyastheplacewherepeoplehadsuffered。Thiswaswhatcametoherinthestarvedchurches，wherethemarblecolumns，transferredfrompaganruins，seemedtoofferheracompanionshipinenduranceandthemustyincensetobeacompoundoflong-unansweredprayers。TherewasnogentlernorlessconsistenthereticthanIsabel。thefirmestofworshippers，gazingatdarkaltar-picturesorclusteredcandles，couldnothavefeltmoreintimatelythesuggestivenessoftheseobjectsnorhavebeenmoreliableatsuchmomentstoaspiritualvisitation。Pansy，asweknow，wasalmostalwayshercompanion，andoflatetheCountessGemini，balancingapinkparasol，hadlentbrilliancytotheirequipage。butshestilloccasionallyfoundherselfalonewhenitsuitedhermoodandwhereitsuitedtheplace。Onsuchoccasionsshehadseveralresorts。themostaccessibleofwhichperhapswasaseatonthelowparapetwhichedgesthewidegrassyspacebeforethehigh，coldfrontofSaintJohnLateran，whenceyoulookacrosstheCampagnaatthefar-trailingoutlineoftheAlbanMountandatthatmightyplain，between，whichisstillsofullofallthathaspassedfromit。
Afterthedepartureofhercousinandhiscompanionssheroamedmorethanusual。shecarriedhersombrespiritfromonefamiliarshrinetotheother。EvenwhenPansyandtheCountesswerewithhershefeltthetouchofavanishedworld。Thecarriage，leavingthewallsofRomebehind，rolledthroughnarrowlaneswherethewildhoneysucklehadbeguntotangleitselfinthehedges，orwaitedforherinquietplaceswherethefieldslaynear，whileshestrolledfurtherandfurtherovertheflower-freckledturf，orsatonastonethathadoncehadauseandgazedthroughtheveilofherpersonalsadnessatthesplendidsadnessofthescene-atthedense，warmlight，thefargradationsandsoftconfusionsofcolour，themotionlessshepherdsinlonelyattitudes，thehillswherethecloud-shadowshadthelightnessofablush。
OntheafternoonIbeganwithspeakingof，shehadtakenaresolutionnottothinkofMadameMerle。buttheresolutionprovedvain，andthislady’simagehoveredconstantlybeforeher。Sheaskedherself，withanalmostchildlikehorrorofthesupposition，whethertothisintimatefriendofseveralyearsthegreathistoricalepithetofwickedweretobeapplied。SheknewtheideaonlybytheBibleandotherliteraryworks。tothebestofherbeliefshehadhadnopersonalacquaintancewithwickedness。Shehaddesiredalargeacquaintancewithhumanlife，andinspiteofherhavingflatteredherselfthatshecultivateditwithsomesuccessthiselementaryprivilegehadbeendeniedher。Perhapsitwasnotwicked-inthehistoricsense-tobeevendeeplyfalse。forthatwaswhatMadameMerlehadbeendeeply，deeply，deeply。Isabel’sAuntLydiahadmadethisdiscoverylongbefore，andhadmentionedittoherniece。butIsabelhadflatteredherselfatthistimethatshehadamuchricherviewofthings，especiallyofthespontaneityofherowncareerandthenoblenessofherowninterpretations，thanpoorstiffly-reasoningMrs。Touchett。MadameMerlehaddonewhatshewanted。shehadbroughtabouttheunionofhertwofriends。areflectionwhichcouldnotfailtomakeitamatterofwonderthatsheshouldsomuchhavedesiredsuchanevent。Therewerepeoplewhohadthematch-makingpassion，likethevotariesofartforart。butMadameMerle，greatartistasshewas，wasscarcelyoneofthese。Shethoughttooillofmarriage，tooillevenoflife。shehaddesiredthatparticularmarriagebuthadnotdesiredothers。Shehadthereforehadaconceptionofgain，andIsabelaskedherselfwhereshehadfoundherprofit。Ittookhernaturallyalongtimetodiscover，andeventhenherdiscoverywasimperfect。ItcamebacktoherthatMadameMerle，thoughshehadseemedtolikeherfromtheirfirstmeetingatGardencourt，hadbeendoublyaffectionateafterMr。Touchett’sdeathandafterlearningthatheryoungfriendhadbeensubjecttothegoodoldman’scharity。Shehadfoundherprofitnotinthegrossdeviceofborrowingmoney，butinthemorerefinedideaofintroducingoneofherintimatestotheyoungwoman’sfreshandingenuousfortune。
Shehadnaturallychosenherclosestintimate，anditwasalreadyvividenoughtoIsabelthatGilbertoccupiedthisposition。Shefoundherselfconfrontedinthismannerwiththeconvictionthatthemanintheworldwhomshehadsupposedtobetheleastsordidhadmarriedher，likeavulgaradventurer，forhermoney。Strangetosay，ithadneverbeforeoccurredtoher。ifshehadthoughtagooddealofharmofOsmondshehadnotdonehimthisparticularinjury。
Thiswastheworstshecouldthinkof，andshehadbeensayingtoherselfthattheworstwasstilltocome。Amanmightmarryawomanforhermoneyperfectlywell。thethingwasoftendone。Butatleastheshouldletherknow。Shewonderedwhether，sincehehadwantedhermoney，hermoneywouldnowsatisfyhim。Wouldhetakehermoneyandlethergo？Ah，ifMr。Touchett’sgreatcharitywouldbuthelphertodayitwouldbeblessedindeed！ItwasnotslowtooccurtoherthatifMadameMerlehadwishedtodoGilbertaservicehisrecognitiontoheroftheboonmusthavelostitswarmth。Whatmustbehisfeelingsto-dayinregardtohistoozealousbenefactress，andwhatexpressionmusttheyhavefoundonthepartofsuchamasterofirony？
Itisasingular，butacharacteristic，factthatbeforeIsabelreturnedfromhersilentdriveshehadbrokenitssilencebythesoftexclamation：
Poor，poorMadameMerle！
Hercompassionwouldperhapshavebeenjustifiedifonthissameafternoonshehadbeenconcealedbehindoneofthevaluablecurtainsoftime-softeneddamaskwhichdressedtheinterestinglittlesalonoftheladytowhomitreferred。thecarefully-arrangedapartmenttowhichweoncepaidavisitincompanywiththediscreetMr。Rosier。Inthatapartment，towardssixo’clock，GilbertOsmondwasseated，andhishostessstoodbeforehimasIsabelhadseenherstandonanoccasioncommemoratedinthishistorywithanemphasisappropriatenotsomuchtoitsapparentastoitsrealimportance。
Idon’tbelieveyou’reunhappy。Ibelieveyoulikeit，saidMadameMerle。
DidIsayIwasunhappy？Osmondaskedwithafacegraveenoughtosuggestthathemighthavebeen。
No，butyoudon’tsaythecontrary，asyououghtincommongratitude。
Don’ttalkaboutgratitude，hereturneddryly。Anddon’taggravateme，headdedinamoment。