"That's very well. But by your own admission you saw I was
marching, and even if she had given the alarm you wouldn't have
tried to stop me."

"No, but some one else would."

"Whom do you mean?" Isabel asked, looking very hard at her aunt.
Mrs. Touchett's little bright eyes, active as they usually were,
sustained her gaze rather than returned it. "Would you have
listened to Ralph?"

"Not if he had abused Mr. Osmond."

"Ralph doesn't abuse people; you know that perfectly. He cares
very much for you."

"I know he does," said Isabel; "and I shall feel the value of it
now, for he knows that whatever I do I do with reason."

"He never believed you would do this. I told him you were capable
of it, and he argued the other way."

"He did it for the sake of argument," the girl smiled. "You don't
accuse him of having deceived you; why should you accuse Madame
Merle?"

"He never pretended he'd prevent it."

"I'm glad of that!" cried Isabel gaily. "I wish very much," she