is peculiar. If a subject is distasteful to him he does
not like it to be mentioned. You had better not mention Mr. Tregear."
Lady Cantrip, as she said this, blushed inwardly at her own
hypocrisy.

It was of course contrived at dinner that Lord Popplecourt should
take out Lady Mary. It is impossible to discover how such things get
wind, but there was already an idea prevalent at Custins that Lord
Popplecourt had matrimonial views, and that these views were looked
upon favourably. "You may be quite sure of it, Mr. Lupton," Lady
Adelaide FitzHoward had said. "I'll make a bet they're married before
this time next year."

"It will be a terrible case of Beauty and the Beast," said Lupton.

Lady Chiltern had whispered a suspicion of the same kind, and had
expressed a hope that the lover would be worthy of the girl. And
Dolly Longstaff had chaffed his friend Popplecourt on the subject,
Popplecourt having laid himself open by indiscreet allusions to
Dolly's love for Miss Boncassen. "Everybody can't have it as easily
arranged for him as you,--a Duke's daughter and a pot of money
without so much as the trouble of asking for it!"

"What do you know about the Duke's children?"

"That's what it is to be a lord and not to have a father."
Popplecourt tried to show that he was disgusted; but he felt himself
all the more strongly bound to go on with his project.

It was therefore a matter of course that these should-be lovers would
be sent out of the room together. "You'll give your arm to Mary,"
Lady Cantrip said, dropping the ceremonial prefix. Lady Mary of
course went out as she was bidden. Though everybody else knew it, no
idea of what was intended had yet come across her mind.

The should-be lover immediately reverted to the Austrian tour,
expressing a hope that his neighbour had enjoyed herself. "There's
nothing I like so much myself," said he, remembering some of the
Duke's words, "as mountains, cities, salt-mines, and all that kind of
thing. There's such a lot of interest about it."

"Did you ever see a salt-mine?"

"Well,--not exactly a salt-mine; but I have coal-mines on my property
in Staffordshire. I'm very fond of coal. I hope you like coal."

"I like salt a great deal better--to look at."

"But which do you think pays best? I don't mind telling you,--though
it's a kind of thing I never talk about to strangers,--the royalties
from the Blogownie and Toodlem mines go up regularly two thousand
pounds every year.