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She didn’t do so, however; she only said to him, after a min-
ute, with her own raised:
‘Please let me understand.’
‘Understand what?’
‘You told me ten days ago that you’d like to marry my
stepdaughter.
You’ve not forgotten it!’
‘Forgotten it? I wrote to Mr. Osmond about it this morn-
ing.’
‘Ah,’ said Isabel, ‘he didn’t mention to me that he had
heard from you.’
Lord Warburton stammered a little. ‘I-I didn’t send my
letter.’
‘Perhaps you forgot that.’
‘No, I wasn’t satisfied with it. It’s an awkward sort of let-
ter to write, you know. But I shall send it to-night.’
‘At three o’clock in the morning?’
‘I mean later, in the course of the day.’
‘Very good. You still wish then to marry her?’
‘Very much indeed.’
‘Aren’t you afraid that you’ll bore her?’ And as her com-
panion stared at this enquiry Isabel added: ‘If she can’t
dance with you for half an hour how will she be able to
dance with you for life?’
‘Ah,’ said Lord Warburton readily, ‘I’ll let her dance with
other people! About the cotillion, the fact is I thought that
you-that you-.’
‘That I would do it with you? I told you I’d do nothing.’
‘Exactly; so that while it’s going on I might find some

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