uke should be unwilling to receive her.
He knew that the Duke would be unwilling. The Duke, who certainly was
not handy in those duties of match-making which seemed to have fallen
upon him at the death of his wife, showed by a hundred little signs
his anxiety that his son and heir should arrange his affairs with
Lady Mabel. These signs were manifest to Mary,--were disagreeably
manifest to Silverbridge,--were unfortunately manifest to Lady Mabel
herself. They were manifest to Mrs. Finn, who was clever enough to
perceive that the inclinations of the young heir were turned in
another direction. And gradually they became manifest to Isabel
Boncassen. The host himself, as host, was courteous to all his
guests. They had been of his own selection, and he did his best
to make himself pleasant to them all. But he selected two for his
peculiar notice,--and those two were Miss Boncassen and Lady Mabel.
While he would himself walk, and talk, and argue after his own
peculiar fashion with the American beauty,--explaining to her matters
political and social, till he persuaded her to promise to read his
pamphlet upon decimal coinage,--he was always making awkward efforts
to throw Silverbridge and Lady Mabel together. The two girls saw it
all and knew well how the matter was,--knew that they were rivals,
and knew each the ground on which she herself and on which the other
stood. But neither was satisfied with her advantage, or nearly
satisfied. Isabel would not take the prize without the Duke's
consent;--and Mabel could not have it without that other consent. "If
you want to marry an English Duke," she once said to Isabel in that
anger which she was unable to restrain, "there is the Duke himself. I
never saw a man more absolutely in love." "But I do not want to marry
an English Duke," said Isabel, "and I pity any girl who has any idea
of marriage except that which comes from a wish to give back love for
love."

Through it all the father never suspected the real state of his son's
mind. He was too simple to think it possible that the purpose which
Silverbridge had declared to him as they walked together from the
Beargarden had already been thrown to the winds. He did not like
to ask why the thing was not settled. Young men, he thought, were
sometimes shy, and young ladies not always ready to give immediate
encouragement. But, when he saw them together, he concluded that
matters were going in the right direction. It was, however, an
opi