THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 105 "Of course I am. If you say that to laugh at me, I don't care." " I don't say it to laugh at you ; I am very much struck with it." " You are laughing worse than ever ; but I advise you not to laugh at Mr. Goodwood." " I assure you I am very serious ; you ought to understand that," said Ralph. In a moment his companion understood it. "I believe you are ; now you are too serious." " You are difficult to please." " Oh, you are very serious indeed. You won't invite Mr. Goodwood." " I don't know," said Ealph. " I am capable of strange things. Tell me a little about Mr. Goodwood. What is he like 1 " "He is just the opposite of you. He is at the head of a cotton factory ; a very fine one." " Has he pleasant manners 1 " asked Ralph. " Splendid manners in the American style." " Would he be an agreeable member of our little circle 1 " " I don't think he would care much about our little circle. He would concentrate on Isabel." " And how would my cousin like that 1 " " Very possibly not at all. But it will be good for her. It will call back her thoughts." " Call them back from where 1 " " From foreign parts and other unnatural places. Three months ago she gave Mr. Goodwood every reason to suppose that he was acceptable to her, and it is not worthy of Isabel to turn her back upon a real friend simply because she has changed the scene. I have changed the scene too, and the effect of it has been to make me care more for my old associations than ever. It's my belief that the sooner Isabel changes it back again the better. I know her well enough to know that she would never be truly happy over here, and I wish her to form some strong American tie that will act as a preservative." " Are you not a little too much in a hurry ? " Ralph inquired. " Don't you think you ought to give . her more of a chance in poor old England 1 " " A chance to ruin her bright young life ? One is never too much in a hurry to save a precious human creature from drowning." " As I understand it, then," said Ralph, "you wish me to push Mr. Goodwood overboard after her. Do you know," he added, " that I have never heard her mention his name ?"
