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 have been 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 who he was so desirous of introducing to his house. Silverbridge could not talk about the election of Polpenno because all conversation about Tregear was interdicted by the presence of his sister. He could say nothing as to the Runnymede hunt and the two thunderbolts which had fallen on him, as Major Tifto was not a subject on which he could expatiate in the presence of his father.
He asked a few questions about the shooting, and referred with great regret to his absence from the Brake country.
'I am sure Mr Cassewary could spare you for another fortnight,' the Duke said to his neighbour, alluding to a visit which she now intended to make.
'If so he would have to spare me altogether,' said Mabel, 'for I must meet my father in London in the middle of January.'
'Could you not put it off for another year?'
'You would think I had taken root and was growing at Matching.'
'Of all our products you would be the most delightful, and the most charming,--and we would hope the most permanent,' said the courteous Duke.
'After being here so long I need hardly say that I like Matching better than any place in the world. I suppose it is the contrast to Grex.'
'Grex was a palace,' said the Duke, 'before a wall of this house had been built.'
'Grex is very old and very wild,--and very uncomfortable. But I love it dearly. Matching is the very reverse of Grex.'
'Not I hope in your affections.'
'I did not mean that. I think one likes a contrast. But I must go, say on the first of January, to pick up Miss Cassewary.'
It was certain, therefore, that she was going on the first of January. How would it be if he put off the telling of his story for yet another week, till she should be gone? Then he looked around and bethought himself that the time would hang very heavy with him. And his father would daily expect from him a declaration exactly opposed to that which he had to make. He had no horses to ride. As he went on listening he almost convinced himself that the proper thing to do would be to go back to London and thence write to his father. He made no confession to his father on that night.
On the next morning there was a heavy fall of snow, but nevertheless everybody managed to go to church. The Duke, as he looked at Lady Mabel tripping along the swept paths in her furs and short petticoats and well-made boots, though that his son was a lucky fellow to have the chance of winning the love of such a girl. No remembrance of Miss Boncassen came across his mind as he saw them close together. It was so important that Silverbridge should marry and thus he kept from further follies! And it was so momentous to the fortunes of the Palliser family generally that he should marry well! In thinking so it did not occur to him that the granddaughter of an American labourer might be offered to him.
A young lady fit to be the Duchess of Omnium was not to be found everywhere. But this girl, he thought as he saw her walking briskly and strongly through the snow, with every mark of health about her, with every sign of high breeding, very beautiful, exquisite in manner, gracious as a goddess, was fit to be a Duchess! Silverbridge at this moment was walking close to her side,--in good looks, in gracious manner, in high breeding her equal,--in worldly gifts infinitely her superior. Surely she would not despise him! Silverbridge at the moment was expressing a hope that the sermon would not be very long.
After lunch Mabel came suddenly behind the chair on which Silverbridge was sitting and asked him to take a walk with her.
Was she not afraid of the snow? 'Perhaps you are,' she said laughing. 'I do not mind it in the least.' When they were but a few yards from the front door, she put her hand upon his arm, and spoke to him as though she had arranged the walk with reference to that special question. 'And now tell me all about Frank.'
She had arranged everything. She had a plan before hew now, and had determined in accordance with that plan she would say nothing to disturb him on this occasion. If she could succeed in bringing him into good humour with herself, that should be sufficient for today. 'Now tell me everything about Frank.'
'Frank is member of Parliament for Polpenno. That is all.'
'That is so like a man, and so unlike a woman. What did he say?
What did he do? How did he look? What did you say? What did you do? How did you look?'
