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‘Thank you very much. Do you accuse me of lying to
shake you off? You say very delicate things.’
‘Why should I not say that? You’ve given me no pledge of
anything at all.’
‘No, that’s all that would be wanting!’
‘You may perhaps even believe you’re safe—from wishing
to be. But you’re not,’ the young man went on as if preparing
himself for the worst.
‘Very well then. We’ll put it that I’m not safe. Have it as
you please.’
‘I don’t know, however,’ said Caspar Goodwood, ‘that my
keeping you in sight would prevent it.’
‘Don’t you indeed? I’m after all very much afraid of you.
Do you think I’m so very easily pleased?’ she asked sudden-
ly, changing her tone.
‘No—I don’t; I shall try to console myself with that. But
there are a certain number of very dazzling men in the
world, no doubt; and if there were only one it would be
enough. The most dazzling of all will make straight for you.
You’ll be sure to take no one who isn’t dazzling.’
‘If you mean by dazzling brilliantly clever,’ Isabel said—
‘and I can’t imagine what else you mean—I don’t need the
aid of a clever man to teach me how to live. I can find it out
for myself.’
‘Find out how to live alone? I wish that, when you have,
you’d teach me!’
She looked at him a moment; then with a quick smile,
‘Oh, you ought to marry!’ she said.
He might be pardoned if for an instant this exclamation

220 The Portrait of a Lady