Paul hoped that he might be kept from kicking Lord Wrexham and Mr. Madderley.
Isabel prayed that she might be kept from crying until she reached home.
Isabel thought that there was nothing in the world that mattered except love, but felt she would die sooner than let Paul see how much she cared for him.
Paul thought that there was nothing in the world that mattered except Isabel, but couldn't for the life of him imagine what had come to her.
Isabel decided that the only dignified course was to let Paul think she had ceased to love him.
Paul decided that the only honourable course was to give Isabel her freedom.
That night Isabel again cried herself to sleep, and Paul never went to sleep at all.
The next morning they both felt better, and repaired to Kensington Gardens on the chance of a meeting. Each was in a more reasonable and amiable frame of mind, and quite prepared to forgive the other if that other made an adequate show of penitence.
It was unfortunate, however, that neither had studied the part of the one to be forgiven.
Paul made up his mind that he would be patient with Isabel, and would not lose his temper however provoking she might be; so he began quite gently—after the customary greetings: "Look here, Isabel, I don't want to say anything nasty, because nasty words always leave a scar behind; but I wish you would not go on in the way you have done just lately. It isn't fair to me, but that is of small consequence; what really matters is that it isn't fair to yourself, for it makes people say horrid things about you; and that is the one thing that I cannot and will not bear."