THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 147 " To take you where ? " Ralph ventured to inquire. " To Buckingham Palace. He is going to show me over it, so that I may get some idea how they live." " Ah," said Ralph, " we leave you in good hands. The first thing we shall hear is that you are invited to Windsor Castle." " If they ask me, I shall certainly go. Once I get started I am not afraid. But for all that," Henrietta added in a moment, " I am not satisfied; I am not satisfied about Isabel." " What is her last misdemeanour ? " " Well, I have told you before, and I suppose there is no harm in my going on. I always finish a subject that I take up. Mr. Goodwood was here last night." Ralph opened his eyes ; he even blushed a little his blush being the sign of an emotion somewhat acute. He remembered that Isabel, in separating from him in Winchester Square, had repudiated his suggestion that her motive in doing so was the expectation of a visitor at Pratt 's Hotel, and it was a novel sensation to him to have to suspect her of duplicity. On the other hand, he quickly said to himself, what concern was it of his that she should have made an appointment with a lover 1 Had it not been thought graceful in every age that young ladies should make a mystery of such appointments? Ralph made Miss Stackpole a diplomatic answer. " I should have thought that, with the views you expressed to me the other day, that would satisfy you perfectly." " That he should come to see her 1 That was very well, as far as it went. It was a little plot of mine ; I let him know that we were in London, and when it had been arranged that I should spend the evening out, I just sent him a word a word to the wise. I hoped he would find her alone ; I won't pretend I didn't hope that you would be out of the way. He came to see her ; but he might as well have stayed away." " Isabel was cruel ? " Ralph inquired, smiling, and relieved at learning that his cousin had not deceived him. " I don't exactly know what passed between them. But she gave him no satisfaction she sent him back to America." " Poor Mr. Goodwood ! " Ralph exclaimed. " Her only idea seems to be to get rid of him," Henrietta went on. " Poor Mr. Goodwood ! " repeated Ralph. The exclamation, it must be confessed, was somewhat mechanical. It failed exactly to express his thoughts, which were taking another line. " You don't say that as if you felt it ; I don't believe you care." L 2
