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expressed surprise at her not having accepted him. It would
have been an excellent thing, like living under some tall
belfry which would strike all the hours and make a queer
vibration in the upper air. He declared he liked to talk with
the great Goodwood; it wasn’t easy at first, you had to climb
up an interminable steep staircase, up to the top of the tow-
er; but when you got there you had a big view and felt a little
fresh breeze. Osmond, as we know, had delightful quali-
ties, and he gave Caspar Goodwood the benefit of them
all. Isabel could see that Mr. Goodwood thought better of
her husband than he had ever wished to; he had given her
the impression that morning in Florence of being inacces-
sible to a good impression. Gilbert asked him repeatedly to
dinner, and Mr. Goodwood smoked a cigar with him after-
wards and even desired to be shown his collections. Gilbert
said to Isabel that he was very original; he was as strong
and of as good a style as an English portmanteau-he had
plenty of straps and buckles which would never wear out,
and a capital patent lock. Caspar Goodwood took to riding
on the Campagna and devoted much time to this exercise;
it was therefore mainly in the evening that Isabel saw him.
She bethought herself of saying to him one day that if he
were willing he could render her a service. And then she
added smiling:
‘I don’t know, however, what right I have to ask a service
of you.’
‘You’re the person in the world who has most right,’ he
answered.
‘I’ve given you assurances that I’ve never given any one

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