. They produced a sort of stillness in all her being; and
it was with an effort, in a moment, that she answered him. "How can you
help me?" she asked in a low tone, as if she were taking what he had
said seriously enough to make the enquiry in confidence.

"By inducing you to trust me. Now I know--to-day I know. Do you remember
what I asked you in Rome? Then I was quite in the dark. But to-day I
know on good authority; everything's clear to me to-day. It was a good
thing when you made me come away with your cousin. He was a good man,
a fine man, one of the best; he told me how the case stands for you. He
explained everything; he guessed my sentiments. He was a member of
your family and he left you--so long as you should be in England--to my
care," said Goodwood as if he were making a great point. "Do you know
what he said to me the last time I saw him--as he lay there where he
died? He said: 'Do everything you can for her; do everything she'll let
you.'"

Isabel suddenly got up. "You had no business to talk about me!"

"Why not--why not, when we talked in that way?" he demanded, following
her fast. "And he was dying--when a man's dying it's different." She
checked the movement she had made to leave him; she was listening more
than ever; it was true that he was not the same as that last time. That
had been aimless, fruitless passion, but at present he had an idea,
which she scented in all her being. "But it doesn't matter!" he
exclaimed, pressing her still harder, though now without touching a hem
of her garment. "If Touchett had never opened his mouth I should have
known all the same. I had only to look at you at your cousin's funeral
to see what's the matter with you. You can't deceive me any more; for
God's sake be honest with a man who's so honest with you. You're the
most unhappy of women, and your husband's the deadliest of fiends."

She turned on him as if he had struck her. "Are you mad?" she cried.

"I've never been so sane; I see the whole thing. Don't think it's
necessary to defend him. But I won't say another word against him; I'll
speak only of you," Goodwood added quickly. "How can you pretend you're
not heart-broken? You don't know what to do--you don't know where to
turn. It's too late to play a part; didn't you leave all that behind you
in Rome? Touchett knew all about it, and I knew it too--what it
would cost you to come here. It will have cost you your life? Say it
will"--and he flared almost into