in his own little
bosom that he would "take it out of Silverbridge for that."

Lord Silverbridge and Tregear went down to the borough together, and
on the journey something was said about Lady Mary,--and something
also about Lady Mabel. "From the first, you know," said Lady Mary's
brother, "I never thought it would answer."

"Why not answer?"

"Because I knew the governor would not have it. Money and rank and
those sort of things are not particularly charming to me. But still
things should go together. It is all very well for you and me to
be pals, but of course it will be expected that Mary should marry
some--"

"Some swell?"

"Some swell, if you will have it."

"You mean to call yourself a swell?"

"Yes I do," said Silverbridge, with considerable resolution. "You
ought not to make yourself disagreeable, because you understand all
about it as well as anybody. Chance has made me the eldest son of a
Duke and heir to an enormous fortune. Chance has made my sister the
daughter of a Duke, and an heiress also. My intimacy with you ought
to be proof at any rate to you that I don't on that account set
myself up above other fellows. But when you come to talk of marriage,
of course it is a serious thing."

"But you have told me more than once that you have no objection on
your own score."

"Nor have I."

"You are only saying what the Duke will think."

"I am telling you that it is impossible, and I told you so before.
You and she will be kept apart, and so--"

"And so she'll forget me."

"Something of that kind."

"Of course I have to trust to her for that. If she forgets me, well
and good."

"She needn't forget you. Lord bless me! you talk as though the thing
were not done every day. You'll hear some morning that she is going
to marry some fellow who has a lot of money and a good position; and
what difference will it make then whether she has forgotten you or
not?" It might almost have been supposed that the young man had been
acquainted with his mother's history.

After this there was a pause, and there arose conversation about
other things, and a cigar was smoked. Then Tregear returned once more
to the subject. "There is one thing I wish to say about it all."

"What is that?"

"I want you to understand that nothing else will turn me away from my
intention but such a marriage on her part as that of which you speak.
Nothing that your father can do will turn me."

"She can't marry without his leave."