"That you met Tregear?"

"Certainly; and that I--kissed him. I will do nothing that I am
ashamed to tell everybody."

"He will be very angry."

"I cannot help it. He should not treat me as he is doing. Mr. Tregear
is a gentleman. Why did he let him come? Why did you bring him? But
it is of no use. The thing is settled. Papa can break my heart, but
he cannot make me say that I am not engaged to Mr. Tregear."

On that night Mary told the whole of her story to Lady Cantrip. There
was nothing that she tried to conceal. "I got up," she said, "and
threw my arms round him. Is he not all the world to me?"

"Had it been planned?" asked Lady Cantrip.

"No;--no! Nothing had been planned. They are cousins and very
intimate, and he goes there constantly. Now I want you to tell papa
all about it."

Lady Cantrip began to think that it had been an evil day for her when
she had agreed to take charge of this very determined young lady; but
she consented at once to write to the Duke. As the girl was in her
hands she must take care not to lay herself open to reproaches. As
this objectionable lover had either contrived a meeting, or had met
her without contriving, it was necessary that the Duke should be
informed. "I would rather you wrote the letter," said Lady Mary. "But
pray tell him that all along I have meant him to know all about it."

Till Lady Cantrip seated herself at her writing-table she did not
know how great the difficulty would be. It cannot in any circumstance
be easy to write to a father as to his daughter's love for an
objectionable lover; but the Duke's character added much to the
severity of the task. And then that embrace! She knew that the Duke
would be struck with horror as he read of such a tale, and she found
herself almost struck with horror as she attempted to write it. When
she came to the point she found she could not write it. "I fear there
was a good deal of warmth shown on both sides," she said, feeling
that she was calumniating the man, as to whose warmth she had heard
nothing. "It is quite clear," she added, "that this is not a passing
fancy on her part."

It was impossible that the Duke should be made to understand
exactly what had occurred. That Silverbridge had taken Mary he did
understand, and that they had together gone to Lord Grex's house. He
understood also that the meeting had taken place in the presence of
Silverbridge and of Lady Mabel. "No doubt it was all an accident,"
Lady Cantri