spent there the tears rose to her eyes. She flattered herself, as
I say, upon her ingenuity, but she had need of all she could
muster; for several events occurred which seemed to confront and
defy her. The Countess Gemini arrived from Florence--arrived with
her trunks, her dresses, her chatter, her falsehoods, her
frivolity, the strange, the unholy legend of the number of her
lovers. Edward Rosier, who had been away somewhere,--no one, not
even Pansy, knew where,--reappeared in Rome and began to write
her long letters, which she never answered. Madame Merle returned
from Naples and said to her with a strange smile: "What on earth
did you do with Lord Warburton?" As if it were any business of
hers!




CHAPTER XLVIII

One day, toward the end of February, Ralph Touchett made up his
mind to return to England. He had his own reasons for this
decision, which he was not bound to communicate; but Henrietta
Stackpole, to whom he mentioned his intention, flattered herself
that she guessed them. She forbore to express them, however; she
only said, after a moment, as she sat by his sofa: "I suppose you
know you can't go alone?"

"I've no idea of doing that," Ralph answered. "I shall have people
with me."

"What do you mean by 'people'? Servants whom you pay?"