THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 495 " She wants you to stop with her. I made Touchett's man promise to telegraph me to-day, and I found the telegram an hour ago at my club. ' Quiet and easy/ that's what it says, and it's dated two o'clock. So you see you can wait till to-morrow. You must be very tired." " Yes, I am very tired. And I thank you again." " Oh," said Mr. Bantling, "we were certain you would like the last news." While Isabel vaguely noted that after all he and Henrietta seemed to agree. Miss Stackpole came back with Isabel's maid, whom she had caught in the act of proving her utility. This excellent person, instead of losing herself in the crowd, had simply attended to her mistress's luggage, so that now Isabel was at liberty to leave the r cation. " You know you are not to think of going to the country to-night," Henrietta remarked to her. "It doesn't matter whether there is a train or not. You are to come straight to me, in. Wimpole Street. There isn't a corner to be had in London, but I have got you one all the same. It isn't a Roman palace, but it will do for a night." " I will do whatever you wish," Isabel said. " You will come and answer a few questions ; that's what I wish." " She doesn't say anything about dinner, does she, Mrs. Osmond 1 " Mr. Bantling inquired jocosely. Henrietta fixed him a moment with her speculative gaze. " I see you are in a great hurry to get to your own. You will be at the Paddington station to-morrow morning at ten." " Don't come for my sake, Mr. Bantling," said Isabel. " He will come for mine," Henrietta declared, as she ushered Isabel into a cab. Later, in a large, dusky parlour in Wimpole Street to do her justice, there had been dinner enough she asked Isabel those questions to which she had alluded at the station. " Did your husband make a scene about your coming * " That was Miss Stackpole's first inquiry. " JSTo ; I can't say he made a scene." " He didn't object then ! " " Yes ; he objected very much. But it was not what you would call a scene." "What was it then ?" " It was a very quiet conversation." Henrietta for a moment contemplated her friend. " It must have been awful," she then remarked. And Isabel
