thought you had
better know how it is."

"I do not see that I can say anything else to you now."

"I think of going to Harrington this afternoon." Then the Duke, with
further very visible annoyance, asked where Harrington was. It was
explained that Harrington was Lord Chiltern's seat, Lord Chiltern
being the Master of the Brake hounds;--that it was his son's purpose
to remain six weeks among the Brake hounds, but that he should
stay only a day or two with Lord Chiltern. Then it appeared that
Silverbridge intended to put himself up at a hunting inn in the
neighbourhood, and the Duke did not at all like the plan. That his
son should choose to live at an inn, when the comforts of an English
country house were open to him, was distasteful and almost offensive
to the Duke. And the matter was not improved when he was made to
understand that all this was to be done for the sake of hunting.
There had been the shooting in Scotland; then the racing,--ah, alas!
yes,--the racing, and the betting at Doncaster! Then the shooting
at Matching had been made to appear to be the chief reason why he
himself had been living in his own house! And now his son was going
away to live at an inn in order that more time might be devoted to
hunting! "Why can't you hunt here at home, if you must hunt?"

"It is all woodland," said Silverbridge.

"I thought you wanted woods. Lord Chiltern is always troubling me
about Trumpington Wood."

This breeze about the hunting enabled the son to escape without any
further allusion to Miss Boncassen. He did escape, and proceeded to
turn over in his mind all that had been said. His tale had been told.
A great burden was thus taken off his shoulders. He could tell Isabel
so much, and thus free himself from the suspicion of having been
afraid to declare his purpose. She should know what he had done,
and should be made to understand that he had been firm. He had, he
thought, been very firm and gave himself some credit on that head.
His father, no doubt, had been firm too, but that he had expected.
His father had said much. All that about honour and duty had been
very good; but this was certain,--that when a young man had promised
a young woman he ought to keep his word. And he thought that there
were certain changes going on in the management of the world
which his father did not quite understand. Fathers never do quite
understand the changes which are manifest to their sons. Some years
ago it might have been