o;--nothing of that sort; but she will not be able to play again
to-day. It was your fault. You should not have made her dance last
night." After that Mrs. Jones said a word about it all to Lady Mabel.
"I hope the Duke will not be angry with me."

"Why should he be angry with you?"

"I don't suppose he will approve of it, and perhaps he'll say I
brought them together on purpose."

Soon afterwards Mabel asked Silverbridge to walk with her to the
waterfall. She had worked herself into such a state of mind that she
hardly knew what to do, what to wish, or how to act. At one moment
she would tell herself that it was better in every respect that she
should cease to think of being Duchess of Omnium. It was not fit that
she should think of it. She herself cared but little for the young
man, and he--she would tell herself--now appeared to care as little
for her. And yet to be Duchess of Omnium! But was it not clear that
he was absolutely in love with this other girl? She had played her
cards so badly that the game was now beyond her powers. Then other
thoughts would come. Was it beyond her powers? Had he not told her
in London that he loved her? Had he not given her the ring which she
well knew he valued? Ah;--if she could but have been aware of all
that had passed between Silverbridge and the Duke, how different
would have been her feelings! And then would it not be so much better
for him that he should marry her, one of his own class, than this
American girl, of whom nobody knew anything? And then,--to be the
daughter of the Duke of Omnium, to be the future Duchess, to escape
from all the cares which her father's vices and follies had brought
upon her, to have come to an end of all her troubles! Would it not be
sweet?

She had made her mind up to nothing when she asked him to walk up to
the waterfall. There was present to her only the glimmer of an idea
that she ought to caution him not to play with the American girl's
feelings. She knew herself to be aware that, when the time for her
own action came, her feminine feelings would get the better of
her purpose. She could not craftily bring him to the necessity of
bestowing himself upon her. Had that been within the compass of her
powers, opportunities had not been lacking to her. On such occasions
she had always "spared him." And should the opportunity come again,
again she would spare him. But she might perhaps do some good,--not
to herself, that was now out of the questi