"Because he's very far gone, Mrs.Osmond.""Rome then is no place for him.I heard from him that he had determined to give up his custom of wintering abroad and to remain in England, indoors, in what he called an artificial climate.""Poor fellow, he doesn't succeed with the artificial! I went to see him three weeks ago, at Gardencourt, and found him thoroughly ill.
He has been getting worse every year, and now he has no strength left.
He smokes no more cigarettes! He had got up an artificial climate indeed; the house was as hot as Calcutta.Nevertheless he had suddenly taken it into his head to start for Sicily.I didn't believe in it-neither did the doctors, nor any of his friends.His mother, as Isuppose you know, is in America, so there was no one to prevent him.
He stuck to his idea that it would be the saving of him to spend the winter at Catania.He said he could take servants and furniture, could make himself comfortable, but in point of fact he hasn't brought anything.I wanted him at least to go by sea, to save fatigue; but he said he hated the sea and wished to stop at Rome.After that, though I thought it all rubbish, I made up my mind to come with him.
I'm acting as-what do you call it in America? a kind of moderator.
Poor Ralph's very moderate now.We left England a fortnight ago, and he has been very bad on the way.He can't keep warm, and the further south we come the more he feels the cold.He has got rather a good man, but I'm afraid he's beyond human help.I wanted him to take with him some clever fellow-=I mean some sharp young doctor; but he wouldn't hear of it.If you don't mind my saying so, I think it was a most extraordinary time for Mrs.Touchett to decide on going to America."Isabel had listened eagerly; her face was full of pain and wonder.
"My aunt does that at fixed periods and lets nothing turn her aside.
When the date comes round she starts; I think she'd have started if Ralph had been dying.""I sometimes think he is dying," Lord Warburton said.
Isabel sprang up."I'll go to him then now."He checked her; he was a little disconcerted at the quick effect of his words."I don't mean I thought so to-night.On the contrary, to-day, in the train, he seemed particularly well; the idea of our reaching Rome-he's very fond of Rome, you know-gave him strength.An hour ago, when I bade him good-night, he told me he was very tired, but very happy.Go to him in the morning; that's all I mean.Ididn't tell him I was coming here; I didn't decide to till after we had separated.Then I remembered he had told me you had an evening, and that it was this very Thursday.It occurred to me to come in and tell you he's here, and let you know you had perhaps better not wait for him to call.I think he said he hadn't written to you." There was no need of Isabel's declaring that she would act upon Lord Warburton's information; she looked, as she sat there, like a winged creature held back."Let alone that I wanted to see you myself," her visitor gallantly added.
"I don't understand Ralph's plan; it seems to me very wild," she said.
"I was glad to think of him between those thick walls at Gardencourt.""He was completely alone there; the thick walls were his only company.""You went to see him; you've been extremely kind.""Oh dear, I had nothing to do," said Lord Warburton.