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for the fear of finding your cousin there I think I should try
to persuade you.’
‘It may be that you’ll not find my cousin,’ said Isabel.
‘I should like to be sure of it. However, I shall be as sure
as possible. At the same time I should like to see his house,
that you told me so much about at one time: what do you
call it?-Gardencourt. It must be a charming thing. And
then, you know, I’ve a devotion to the memory of your un-
cle: you made me take a great fancy to him. I should like to
see where he lived and died. That indeed is a detail. Your
friend was right. Pansy ought to see England.’
‘I’ve no doubt she would enjoy it,’ said Isabel.
‘But that’s a long time hence; next autumn’s far off,’ Os-
mond continued; ‘and meantime there are things that more
nearly interest us. Do you think me so very proud?’ he sud-
denly asked.
‘I think you very strange.’
‘You don’t understand me.’
‘No, not even when you insult me.’
‘I don’t insult you; I’m incapable of it. I merely speak of
certain facts, and if the allusion’s an injury to you the fault’s
not mine. It’s surely a fact that you have kept all this matter
quite in your own hands.’
‘Are you going back to Lord Warburton?’ Isabel asked.
‘I’m very tired of his name.’
‘You shall hear it again before we’ve done with it.’
She had spoken of his insulting her, but it suddenly
seemed to her that this ceased to be a pain. He was going
down-down; the vision of such a fall made her almost gid-

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