Page 468 - the-portrait-of-a-lady

month before, in a few carefully chosen words, to announce
her engagement. If she were not in the wrong, however, why
should she desire to defend herself? It was an excess of gen-
erosity on Isabel’s part to desire that Mr. Goodwood should
be angry. And if he had not meanwhile held himself hard
it might have made him so to hear the tone in which she
suddenly exclaimed, as if she were accusing him of having
accused her:
‘I’ve not deceived you! I was perfectly free!’
‘Yes, I know that,’ said Caspar.
‘I gave you full warning that I’d do as I chose.’
‘You said you’d probably never marry, and you said it
with such a manner that I pretty well believed it.’
She considered this an instant. ‘No one can be more sur-
prised than myself at my present intention.’
‘You told me that if I heard you were engaged I was
not to believe it,’ Caspar went on. ‘I heard it twenty days
ago from yourself, but I remembered what you had said. I
thought there might be some mistake, and that’s partly why
I came.’
‘If you wish me to repeat it by word of mouth, that’s soon
done. There’s no mistake whatever.’
‘I saw that as soon as I came into the room.’
‘What good would it do you that I shouldn’t marry?’ she
asked with a certain fierceness.
‘I should like it better than this.’
‘You’re very selfish, as I said before.’
‘I know that. I’m selfish as iron.’
‘Even iron sometimes melts! If you’ll be reasonable I’ll

468 The Portrait of a Lady