s heir. She had been too clever not to perceive that Lady
Mabel Grex had been not only selected,--but almost accepted as though
the thing had been certain. She had learned nearly the whole truth
from Silverbridge, who was not good at keeping a secret from one to
whom his heart was open. That story had been all but read by her with
exactness. "I cannot lose you now," she had said to him, leaning on
his arm;--"I cannot afford to lose you now. But I fear that someone
else is losing you." To this he answered nothing, but simply pressed
her closer to his side. "Someone else," she continued, "who perhaps
may have reason to think that you have injured her." "No," he said
boldly; "no; there is no such person." For he had never ceased to
assure himself that in all that matter with Mabel Grex he had been
guilty of no treachery. There had been a moment, indeed, in which she
might have taken him; but she had chosen to let it pass from her. All
of which, or nearly all of which,--Isabel now saw, and had seen also
that the Duke had been a consenting party to that other arrangement.
She had reason therefore to doubt the manner of her acceptance.

But she had been accepted. She had made such acceptance by him a
stipulation in her acceptance of his son. She was sure of the ground
on which she trod and was determined to carry herself, if not with
pride, yet with dignity. There might be difficulties before her,
but it should not be her fault if she were not as good a Countess,
and,--when time would have it so,--as good a Duchess as another.

The visit was made not quite in the fashion in which Silverbridge
himself had wished. His idea had been to call for Isabel in his cab
and take her down to Carlton Terrace. "Mother must go with me,"
she had said. Then he looked blank,--as he could look when he was
disappointed, as he had looked when she would not talk to him at the
lunch, when she told him that it was not her business to entertain
him. "Don't be selfish," she added, laughing. "Do you think that
mother will not want to have seen the house that I am to live in?"

"She shall come afterwards as often as she likes."

"What,--paying me morning visits from New York! She must come now, if
you please. Love me, love my mother."

"I am awfully fond of her," said Silverbridge, who felt that he
really had behaved well to the old lady.

"So am I,--and therefore she shall go and see the house now. You are
as good as gold,--and do everything just