tch does not always die."

"I don't think she is a snake."

"Don't be moral, Cass. She is a snake in my sense. She has got her
weapons, and of course it is natural enough that she should use them.
If I want to be Duchess of Omnium, why shouldn't she?"

"I hate to hear you talk of yourself in that way."

"Because you have enough of the old school about you to like
conventional falsehood. This young man did in fact ask me to be his
wife. Of course I meant to accept him,--but I didn't. Then comes this
convict's granddaughter."

"Not a convict's!"

"You know what I mean. Had he been a convict it would have been all
the same. I take upon myself to say that, had the world been informed
that an alliance had been arranged between the eldest son of the Duke
of Omnium and the daughter of Earl Grex,--the world would have been
satisfied. Every unmarried daughter of every peer in England would
have envied me,--but it would have been comme il faut."

"Certainly, my dear."

"But what would be the feeling as to the convict's granddaughter?"

"You don't suppose that I would approve it;--but it seems to me that
in these days young men do just what they please."

"He shall do what he pleases, but he must be made to be pleased with
me." So much she said to Miss Cassewary; but she did not divulge
any plan. The Boncassens had just gone off to the station, and
Silverbridge was out shooting. If anything could be done here at
Matching, it must be done quickly, as Silverbridge would soon take
his departure. She did not know it, but, in truth, he was remaining
in order that he might, as he said, "have all this out with the
governor."

She tried to realise for herself some plan, but when the evening came
nothing was fixed. For a quarter of an hour, just as the sun was
setting, the Duke joined her in the gardens,--and spoke to her more
plainly than he had ever spoken before. "Has Silverbridge come home?"
he asked.

"I have not seen him."

"I hope you and Mary get on well together."

"I think so, Duke. I am sure we should if we saw more of each other."

"I sincerely hope you may. There is nothing I wish for Mary so much
as that she should have a sister. And there is no one whom I would be
so glad to hear her call by that name as yourself." How could he have
spoken plainer?

The ladies were all together in the drawing-room when Silverbridge
came bursting in rather late. "Where's the governor?" he asked,
turning to his sister.