ord's note,
and declared that it was quite as much as he expected. He considered
that the note, short as it was, must be decisive. Major Tifto, in
appealing to Lord Silverbridge, had agreed to abide by his Lordship's
answer, and that answer was now before them. Mr. Jawstock ventured to
propose that Major Tifto should be declared to be no longer Master
of the Runnymede Hounds. The parson from Croppingham seconded the
proposition, and Major Tifto was formally deposed.

CHAPTER LIX

No One Can Tell What May Come to Pass

Then Lord Silverbridge necessarily went down to Matching, knowing
that he must meet Mabel Grex. Why should she have prolonged her
visit? No doubt it might be very pleasant for her to be his father's
guest at Matching, but she had been there above a month! He could
understand that his father should ask her to remain. His father was
still brooding over that foolish communication which had been made
to him on the night of the dinner at the Beargarden. His father was
still intending to take Mabel to his arms as a daughter-in-law. But
Lady Mabel herself knew that it could not be so! The whole truth had
been told to her. Why should she remain at Matching for the sake of
being mixed up in a scene the acting of which could not fail to be
disagreeable to her?

He found the house very quiet and nearly empty. Mrs. Finn was there
with the two girls, and Mr. Warburton had come back. Miss Cassewary
had gone to a brother's house. Other guests to make Christmas merry
there were none. As he looked round at the large rooms he reflected
that he himself was there only for a special purpose. It was his duty
to break the news of his intended marriage to his father. As he stood
before the fire, thinking how best he might do this, it occurred
to him that a letter from a distance would have been the ready and
simple way. But then it had occurred to him also, when at a distance,
that a declaration of his purpose face to face was the simplest and
readiest way. If you have to go headlong into the water you should
take your plunge without hesitating. So he told himself, making up
his mind that he would have it all out that evening.

At dinner Lady Mabel sat next to his father, and he could watch the
special courtesy with which the Duke treated the girl whom he was so
desirous of introducing to his house. Silverbridge could not talk
about the election at Polpenno because all conversation about Tregear
was interdicted in