y
surprise. She was convinced that he intended to offer his hand to the
girl, and now was actuated chiefly by a feeling that his doing so
would be an outrage to all English propriety. If a word might have
an effect it would be her duty to speak that word. "I think you are
wrong there, Lord Silverbridge."

"I am sure I am right."

"What have you yourself felt about your sister and Mr. Tregear?"

"It is altogether different;--altogether. Frank's wife will be simply
his wife. Mine, should I outlive my father, will be Duchess of
Omnium."

"But your father? I have heard you speak with bitter regret of this
affair of Lady Mary's, because it vexes him. Would your marriage with
an American lady vex him less?"

"Why should it vex him at all? Is she vulgar, or ill to look at, or
stupid?"

"Think of her mother."

"I am not going to marry her mother. Nor for the matter of that am
I going to marry her. You are taking all that for granted in a most
unfair way."

"How can I help it after what I saw yesterday?"

"I will not talk any more about it. We had better go down or we shall
get no lunch." Lady Mabel, as she followed him, tried to make herself
believe that all her sorrow came from regret that so fine a scion
of the British nobility should throw himself away upon an American
adventuress.

The guests were still at lunch when they entered the dining-room, and
Isabel was seated close to Mrs. Jones. Silverbridge at once went up
to her,--and place was made for him as though he had almost a right
to be next to her. Miss Boncassen herself bore her honours well,
seeming to regard the little change at table as though it was of no
moment. "I became so eager about that game," she said, "that I went
on too long."

"I hope you are now none the worse."

"At six o'clock this morning I thought I should never use my legs
again."

"Were you awake at six?" said Silverbridge, with pitying voice.

"That was it. I could not sleep. Now I begin to hope that sooner or
later I shall unstiffen."

During every moment, at every word that he uttered, he was thinking
of the declaration of love which he had made to her. But it seemed to
him as though the matter had not dwelt on her mind. When they drew
their chairs away from the table he thought that not a moment was
to be lost before some further explanation of their feelings for
each other should be made. Was not the matter which had been so far
discussed of vital importance for both of