is in America, so there was no one to prevent him. He stuck to his idea
that it would be the saving of him to spend the winter at Catania.
He said he could take servants and furniture, could make himself
comfortable, but in point of fact he hasn't brought anything. I wanted
him at least to go by sea, to save fatigue; but he said he hated the sea
and wished to stop at Rome. After that, though I thought it all rubbish,
I made up my mind to come with him. I'm acting as--what do you call it
in America?--as a kind of moderator. Poor Ralph's very moderate now. We
left England a fortnight ago, and he has been very bad on the way. He
can't keep warm, and the further south we come the more he feels the
cold. He has got rather a good man, but I'm afraid he's beyond human
help. I wanted him to take with him some clever fellow--I mean some
sharp young doctor; but he wouldn't hear of it. If you don't mind my
saying so, I think it was a most extraordinary time for Mrs. Touchett to
decide on going to America."

Isabel had listened eagerly; her face was full of pain and wonder. "My
aunt does that at fixed periods and lets nothing turn her aside. When
the date comes round she starts; I think she'd have started if Ralph had
been dying."

"I sometimes think he IS dying," Lord Warburton said.

Isabel sprang up. "I'll go to him then now."

He checked her; he was a little disconcerted at the quick effect of his
words. "I don't mean I thought so to-night. On the contrary, to-day,
in the train, he seemed particularly well; the idea of our reaching
Rome--he's very fond of Rome, you know--gave him strength. An hour ago,
when I bade him goodnight, he told me he was very tired, but very happy.
Go to him in the morning; that's all I mean. I didn't tell him I was
coming here; I didn't decide to till after we had separated. Then I
remembered he had told me you had an evening, and that it was this very
Thursday. It occurred to me to come in and tell you he's here, and let
you know you had perhaps better not wait for him to call. I think he
said he hadn't written to you." There was no need of Isabel's declaring
that she would act upon Lord Warburton's information; she looked, as she
sat there, like a winged creature held back. "Let alone that I wanted to
see you for myself," her visitor gallantly added.

"I don't understand Ralph's plan; it seems to me very wild," she said.
"I was glad to think of him between those thick walls at Gardencourt."