spapers and letters piled up beside him,
his toilet freshly and minutely made, and his smooth, speculative face
composed to benevolent expectation.

She approached her point directly. "I think I ought to let you know that
Lord Warburton has asked me to marry him. I suppose I ought to tell my
aunt; but it seems best to tell you first."

The old man expressed no surprise, but thanked her for the confidence
she showed him. "Do you mind telling me whether you accepted him?" he
then enquired.

"I've not answered him definitely yet; I've taken a little time to think
of it, because that seems more respectful. But I shall not accept him."

Mr. Touchett made no comment upon this; he had the air of thinking that,
whatever interest he might take in the matter from the point of view of
sociability, he had no active voice in it. "Well, I told you you'd be a
success over here. Americans are highly appreciated."

"Very highly indeed," said Isabel. "But at the cost of seeming both
tasteless and ungrateful, I don't think I can marry Lord Warburton."

"Well," her uncle went on, "of course an old man can't judge for a young
lady. I'm glad you didn't ask me before you made up your mind. I suppose
I ought to tell you," he added slowly, but as if it were not of much
consequence, "that I've known all about it these three days."

"About Lord Warburton's state of mind?"

"About his intentions, as they say here. He wrote me a very pleasant
letter, telling me all about them. Should you like to see his letter?"
the old man obligingly asked.

"Thank you; I don't think I care about that. But I'm glad he wrote to
you; it was right that he should, and he would be certain to do what was
right."

"Ah well, I guess you do like him!" Mr. Touchett declared. "You needn't
pretend you don't."

"I like him extremely; I'm very free to admit that. But I don't wish to
marry any one just now."

"You think some one may come along whom you may like better. Well,
that's very likely," said Mr. Touchett, who appeared to wish to show his
kindness to the girl by easing off her decision, as it were, and finding
cheerful reasons for it.

"I don't care if I don't meet any one else. I like Lord Warburton quite
well enough." she fell into that appearance of a sudden change of
point of view with which she sometimes startled and even displeased her
interlocutors.

Her uncle, however, seemed proof against either of these impressions.
"He's a very fine man," he