ause he had resolved that he would do so
before he had made up his mind on the chief subject of that letter.
It did not suit him to say either that he would or that he would not
do as his friend advised him. The reply was made in a very few words.
"As to myself," he said, after expressing his regret that the Duke
should find it necessary to retire from public life--"as to myself,
pray understand that whatever I may do I shall never cease to be
grateful for your affectionate and high-spirited counsels."

Then his mind recurred to a more immediate and, for the moment, a
heavier trouble. He had as yet given no answer to that letter from
Mrs. Finn, which the reader will perhaps remember. It might indeed be
passed over without an answer; but to him that was impossible. She
had accused him in the very strongest language of injustice, and had
made him understand that if he were unjust to her, then would he
be most ungrateful. He, looking at the matter with his own lights,
had thought that he had been right, but had resolved to submit the
question to another person. As judge in the matter he had chosen Lady
Cantrip, and Lady Cantrip had given judgment against him.

He had pressed Lady Cantrip for a decided opinion, and she had told
him that she, in the same position, would have done just as Mrs. Finn
had done. He had constituted Lady Cantrip his judge, and had resolved
that her judgment should be final. He declared to himself that he
did not understand it. If a man's house be on fire, do you think of
certain rules of etiquette before you bid him send for the engines?
If a wild beast be loose, do you go through some ceremony before you
caution the wanderers abroad? There should not have been a moment!
But, nevertheless, it was now necessary that he should conform
himself to the opinion of Lady Cantrip, and in doing so he must
apologise for the bitter scorn with which he had allowed himself to
treat his wife's most loyal and loving friend.

The few words to the Duke had not been difficult, but this letter
seemed to be an Herculean task. It was made infinitely more difficult
by the fact that Lady Cantrip had not seemed to think that this
marriage was impossible. "Young people when they have set their minds
upon it do so generally prevail at last!" These had been her words,
and they discomforted him greatly. She had thought the marriage to
be possible. Had she not almost expressed an opinion that they ought
to be allowed to marr