duty he will be sure to do it," said
the elder lady very solemnly.

Lady Mabel was surprised by the invitation, but she was not slow
to accept it. "Papa will be here and will be so glad to meet you,"
Lady Mary had said. Why should the Duke of Omnium wish to meet her?
"Silverbridge will be here too," Mary had gone on to say. "It is just
a family party. Papa, you know, is not going anywhere; nor am I."
By all this Lady Mabel's thoughts were much stirred, and her bosom
somewhat moved. And Silverbridge also was moved by it. Of course he
could not but remember that he had pledged himself to his father to
ask Lady Mabel to be his wife. He had faltered since. She had been,
he thought, unkind to him, or at any rate indifferent. He had surely
said enough to her to make her know what he meant; and yet she had
taken no trouble to meet him half way. And then Isabel Boncassen had
intervened. Now he was asked to dinner in a most unusual manner!

Of all the guests invited Lord Popplecourt was perhaps the least
disturbed. He was quite alive to the honour of being noticed by the
Duke of Omnium, and alive also to the flattering courtesy shown to
him by Lady Cantrip. But justice would not be done him unless it were
acknowledged that he had as yet flattered himself with no hopes in
regard to Lady Mary Palliser. He, when he prepared himself for his
journey down to Richmond, thought much more of the Duke than of the
Duke's daughter.

"Oh yes, I can drive you down if you like that kind of thing,"
Silverbridge said to him on the Saturday evening.

"And bring me back?"

"If you will come when I am coming. I hate waiting for a fellow."

"Suppose we leave at half-past ten."

"I won't fix any time; but if we can't make it suit there'll be the
governor's carriage."

"Will the Duke go down in his carriage?"

"I suppose so. It's quicker and less trouble than the railway." Then
Lord Popplecourt reflected that he would certainly come back with
the Duke if he could so manage it, and there floated before his eyes
visions of under-secretaryships, all of which might owe their origin
to this proposed drive up from Richmond.

At six o'clock on the Sunday evening Silverbridge called for Lord
Popplecourt. "Upon my word," said he, "I didn't ever expect to see
you in my cab."

"Why not me especially?"

"Because you're not one of our lot."

"You'd sooner have Tifto, I dare say."

"No, I wouldn't. Tifto is not at all a pleasant companion, though