ne, papa."

"You will be very sad without somebody. Would you like the Finns?"

"If you please, papa. I like her. He never talks anything but
politics."

"He is none the worse for that, Mary. I wonder whether Lady Mabel
Grex would come."

"Lady Mabel Grex!"

"Do you not like her?"

"Oh yes, I like her;--but what made you think of her, papa?"

"Perhaps Silverbridge would come to us then."

Lady Mary thought that she knew a great deal more about that than her
father did. "Is he fond of Lady Mabel, papa?"

"Well,--I don't know. There are secrets which should not be told. I
think they are very good friends. I would not have her asked unless
it would please you."

"I like her very much, papa."

"And perhaps we might get the Boncassens to come to us. I did say
a word to him about it." Now, as Mary felt, difficulty was heaping
itself upon difficulty. "I have seldom met a man in whose company I
could take more pleasure than in that of Mr. Boncassen; and the young
lady seems to be worthy of her father." Mary was silent, feeling the
complication of the difficulties. "Do you not like her?" asked the
Duke.

"Very much indeed," said Mary.

"Then let us fix a day and ask them. If you will come to me after
dinner with an almanac we will arrange it. Of course you will invite
that Miss Cassewary too?"

The complication seemed to be very bad indeed. In the first place was
it not clear that she, Lady Mary, ought not to be a party to asking
Miss Boncassen to meet her brother at Matching? Would it not be
imperative on her part to tell her father the whole story? And yet
how could she do that? It had been told her in confidence, and
she remembered what her own feelings had been when Mrs. Finn had
suggested the propriety of telling the story which had been told
to her! And how would it be possible to ask Lady Mabel to come to
Matching to meet Miss Boncassen in the presence of Silverbridge? If
the party could be made up without Silverbridge things might run
smoothly.

As she was thinking of this in her own room, thinking also how happy
she could be if one other name might be added to the list of guests,
the Duke had gone alone into his library. There a pile of letters
reached him, among which he found one marked "Private," and addressed
in a hand which he did not recognise. This he opened suddenly,--with
a conviction that it would contain a thorn,--and, turning over the
page, found the signature to it was "Francis Tregear