Duchess in Manchester Square

The Duke said not a word to his wife as to this new proposition, and
when she asked him what tidings their old friend had brought as to
the state of affairs, he almost told a fib in his anxiety to escape
from her persecution. "He is in some doubt what he means to do
himself," said the Duke. The Duchess asked many questions, but got no
satisfactory reply to any of them. Nor did Mrs. Finn learn anything
from her husband, whom, however, she did not interrogate very
closely. She would be contented to know when the proper time might
come for ladies to be informed. The Duke, however, was determined
to take his twenty-four hours all alone,--or at any rate not to be
driven to his decision by feminine interference.

In the meantime the Duchess went to Manchester Square intent on
performing certain good offices on behalf of the poor widow. It may
be doubted whether she had clearly made up her mind what it was that
she could do, though she was clear that some debt was due by her to
Mrs. Lopez. And she knew too in what direction assistance might be
serviceable, if only it could in this case be given. She had heard
that the present member for Silverbridge had been the lady's lover
long before Mr. Lopez had come upon the scene, and with those
feminine wiles of which she was a perfect mistress she had extracted
from him a confession that his mind was unaltered. She liked Arthur
Fletcher,--as indeed she had for a time liked Ferdinand Lopez,--and
felt that her conscience would be easier if she could assist in this
good work. She built castles in the air as to the presence of the
bride and bridegroom at Matching, thinking how she might thus repair
the evil she had done. But her heart misgave her a little as she
drew near to the house, and remembered how very slight was her
acquaintance and how extremely delicate the mission on which she had
come. But she was not the woman to turn back when she had once put
her foot to any work; and she was driven up to the door in Manchester
Square without any expressed hesitation on her own part. "Yes,--his
mistress was at home," said the butler, still shrinking at the sound
of the name which he hated. The Duchess was then shown upstairs, and
was left alone for some minutes in the drawing-room. It was a large
handsome apartment, hung round with valuable pictures, and having
signs of considerable wealth. Since she had first invited Lopez to
stand for Silverbridge she ha