l. If that's all you want,
pray say so. I don't want you to be conventional; do I strike you as
conventional myself? Do you want to improve your mind? Your mind's quite
good enough for me; but if it interests you to wander about a while and
see different countries I shall be delighted to help you in any way in
my power."

"You're very generous; that's nothing new to me. The best way to help me
will be to put as many hundred miles of sea between us as possible."

"One would think you were going to commit some atrocity!" said Caspar
Goodwood.

"Perhaps I am. I wish to be free even to do that if the fancy takes me."

"Well then," he said slowly, "I'll go home." And he put out his hand,
trying to look contented and confident.

Isabel's confidence in him, however, was greater than any he could feel
in her. Not that he thought her capable of committing an atrocity; but,
turn it over as he would, there was something ominous in the way she
reserved her option. As she took his hand she felt a great respect for
him; she knew how much he cared for her and she thought him magnanimous.
They stood so for a moment, looking at each other, united by a
hand-clasp which was not merely passive on her side. "That's right,"
she said very kindly, almost tenderly. "You'll lose nothing by being a
reasonable man."

"But I'll come back, wherever you are, two years hence," he returned
with characteristic grimness.

We have seen that our young lady was inconsequent, and at this she
suddenly changed her note. "Ah, remember, I promise nothing--absolutely
nothing!" Then more softly, as if to help him to leave her: "And
remember too that I shall not be an easy victim!"

"You'll get very sick of your independence."

"Perhaps I shall; it's even very probable. When that day comes I shall
be very glad to see you."

She had laid her hand on the knob of the door that led into her room,
and she waited a moment to see whether her visitor would not take his
departure. But he appeared unable to move; there was still an immense
unwillingness in his attitude and a sore remonstrance in his eyes. "I
must leave you now," said Isabel; and she opened the door and passed
into the other room.

This apartment was dark, but the darkness was tempered by a vague
radiance sent up through the window from the court of the hotel, and
Isabel could make out the masses of the furniture, the dim shining of
the mirror and the looming of the big four-posted bed. She stoo