Madame Merle had seen her and had welcomed her without moving; her husband, on the other hand, had instantly jumped up.

He presently murmured something about wanting a walk and, after having asked their visitor to excuse him, left the room.
"I came to see you, thinking you would have come in; and as you hadn't I waited for you," Madame Merle said.
"Didn't he ask you to sit down ?" Isabel asked with a smile.
Madame Merle looked about her.

"Ah, it's very true; I was going away." "You must stay now." "Certainly.

I came for a reason; I've something on my mind." "I've told you that before," Isabel said--"that it takes something extraordinary to bring you to this house." "And you know what I've told YOU; that whether I come or whether I stay away, I've always the same motive--the affection I bear you." "Yes, you've told me that." "You look just now as if you didn't believe it," said Madame Merle.
"Ah," Isabel answered, "the profundity of your motives, that's the last thing I doubt!" "You doubt sooner of the sincerity of my words." Isabel shook her head gravely.

"I know you've always been kind to me." "As often as you would let me.