been so glad to come if they had known you were
still here--if they had thought you would see them," Lord Warburton went
on. "Do kindly let them see you before you leave England."

"It would give me great pleasure; I have such a friendly recollection of
them."

"I don't know whether you would come to Lockleigh for a day or two?
You know there's always that old promise." And his lordship coloured a
little as he made this suggestion, which gave his face a somewhat more
familiar air. "Perhaps I'm not right in saying that just now; of course
you're not thinking of visiting. But I meant what would hardly be a
visit. My sisters are to be at Lockleigh at Whitsuntide for five days;
and if you could come then--as you say you're not to be very long in
England--I would see that there should be literally no one else."

Isabel wondered if not even the young lady he was to marry would be
there with her mamma; but she did not express this idea.

"Thank you extremely," she contented herself with saying; "I'm afraid I
hardly know about Whitsuntide."

"But I have your promise--haven't I?--for some other time."

There was an interrogation in this; but Isabel let it pass. She looked
at her interlocutor a moment, and the result of her observation was
that--as had happened before--she felt sorry for him. "Take care you
don't miss your train," she said. And then she added: "I wish you every
happiness."

He blushed again, more than before, and he looked at his watch. "Ah yes,
6.40; I haven't much time, but I've a fly at the door. Thank you very
much." It was not apparent whether the thanks applied to her having
reminded him of his train or to the more sentimental remark. "Good-bye,
Mrs. Osmond; good-bye." He shook hands with her, without meeting her
eyes, and then he turned to Mrs. Touchett, who had wandered back to
them. With her his parting was equally brief; and in a moment the two
ladies saw him move with long steps across the lawn.

"Are you very sure he's to be married?" Isabel asked of her aunt.

"I can't be surer than he; but he seems sure. I congratulated him, and
he accepted it."

"Ah," said Isabel, "I give it up!"--while her aunt returned to the house
and to those avocations which the visitor had interrupted.

She gave it up, but she still thought of it--thought of it while she
strolled again under the great oaks whose shadows were long upon the
acres of turf. At the end of a few minutes she found herself near a
rustic