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‘He’s just the opposite of you. He’s at the head of a cotton-
factory; a very fine one.’
‘Has he pleasant manners?’ asked Ralph.
‘Splendid manners—in the American style.’
‘Would he be an agreeable member of our little circle?’
‘I don’t think he’d care much about our little circle. He’d
concentrate on Isabel.’
‘And how would my cousin like that?’
‘Very possibly not at all. But it will be good for her. It will
call back her thoughts.’
‘Call them back—from where?’
‘From foreign parts and other unnatural places. Three
months ago she gave Mr. Goodwood every reason to sup-
pose he was acceptable to her, and it’s not worthy of Isabel
to go back on a real friend simply because she has changed
the scene. I’ve changed the scene too, and the effect of it has
been to make me care more for my old associations than
ever. It’s my belief that the sooner Isabel changes it back
again the better. I know her well enough to know that she
would never be truly happy over here, and I wish her to form
some strong American tie that will act as a preservative.’
‘Aren’t you perhaps a little too much in a hurry?’ Ralph
enquired. ‘Don’t you think you ought to give her more of a
chance in poor old England?’
‘A chance to ruin her bright young life? One’s never too
much in a hurry to save a precious human creature from
drowning.’
‘As I understand it then,’ said Ralph, ‘you wish me to
push Mr. Goodwood overboard after her. Do you know,’ he

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