ou!"

"Never fear. I shall do no harm."

"You'll marry some one else, as sure as I sit here," Caspar Goodwood
declared.

"Do you think that a generous charge?"

"Why not? Plenty of men will try to make you."

"I told you just now that I don't wish to marry and that I almost
certainly never shall."

"I know you did, and I like your 'almost certainly'! I put no faith in
what you say."

"Thank you very much. Do you accuse me of lying to shake you off? You
say very delicate things."

"Why should I not say that? You've given me no pledge of anything at
all."

"No, that's all that would be wanting!"

"You may perhaps even believe you're safe--from wishing to be. But
you're not," the young man went on as if preparing himself for the
worst.

"Very well then. We'll put it that I'm not safe. Have it as you please."

"I don't know, however," said Caspar Goodwood, "that my keeping you in
sight would prevent it."

"Don't you indeed? I'm after all very much afraid of you. Do you think
I'm so very easily pleased?" she asked suddenly, changing her tone.

"No--I don't; I shall try to console myself with that. But there are a
certain number of very dazzling men in the world, no doubt; and if there
were only one it would be enough. The most dazzling of all will make
straight for you. You'll be sure to take no one who isn't dazzling."

"If you mean by dazzling brilliantly clever," Isabel said--"and I can't
imagine what else you mean--I don't need the aid of a clever man to
teach me how to live. I can find it out for myself."

"Find out how to live alone? I wish that, when you have, you'd teach
me!"

She looked at him a moment; then with a quick smile, "Oh, you ought to
marry!" she said.

He might be pardoned if for an instant this exclamation seemed to him
to sound the infernal note, and it is not on record that her motive for
discharging such a shaft had been of the clearest. He oughtn't to stride
about lean and hungry, however--she certainly felt THAT for him. "God
forgive you!" he murmured between his teeth as he turned away.

Her accent had put her slightly in the wrong, and after a moment she
felt the need to right herself. The easiest way to do it was to place
him where she had been. "You do me great injustice--you say what you
don't know!" she broke out. "I shouldn't be an easy victim--I've proved
it."

"Oh, to me, perfectly."

"I've proved it to others as well." And she paused a moment. "I refused
a pr