I take it quietly when he is
more than all the world to me?"

"You should keep that to yourself."

"Yes,--and so let people think that I didn't care, till I broke my
heart! I shall say just the same to papa when he comes home." After
that the brother and sister were not on very good terms with each
other for the remainder of the day.

On the Saturday there was a letter from Silverbridge to Mrs. Finn.
Tregear was better; but was unhappy because it had been decided
that he could not be moved for the next month. This entailed
two misfortunes on him;--first that of being the enforced guest
of persons who were not,--or, hitherto had not been, his own
friends,--and then his absence from the first meeting of Parliament.
When a gentleman has been in Parliament some years he may be able to
reconcile himself to an obligatory vacation with a calm mind. But
when the honours and glory are new, and the tedium of the benches
has not yet been experienced, then such an accident is felt to be
a grievance. But the young member was out of danger, and was, as
Silverbridge declared, in the very best quarters which could be
provided for a man in such a position.

Phineas Finn told him all the politics; Mrs. Spooner related to
him, on Sundays and Wednesdays, all the hunting details; while Lady
Chiltern read to him light literature, because he was not allowed to
hold a book in his hand. "I wish it were me," said Gerald. "I wish I
were there to read to him," said Mary.

Then the Duke came home. "Mary," said he, "I have been distressed to
hear of this accident." This seemed to her to be the kindest word she
had heard from him for a long time. "I believe him to be a worthy
young man. I am sorry that he should be the cause of so much sorrow
to you--and to me."

"Of course I was sorry for his accident," she replied, after pausing
awhile; "but now that he is better I will not call him a cause of
sorrow--to me." Then the Duke said nothing further about Tregear; nor
did she.

"So you have come at last," he said to Gerald. That was the first
greeting,--to which the son responded by an awkward smile. But in the
course of the evening he walked straight up to his father--"I have
something to tell you, sir," said he.

"Something to tell me?"

"Something that will make you very angry."

CHAPTER LXV

"Do You Ever Think What Money Is?"

Gerald told his story, standing bolt upright, and looking his father
full in the face as he told it