The Duke's Children eBook

that on no account would he marry a woman for her money.  Then he had encountered Lady Mary Palliser.  There had been no doubt, no resolution after that, no thinking about it,—­but downright love.  There was nothing left of real regret for his cousin in his bosom.  She had been right.  That love had been impossible.  But this would be possible,—­ah, so deliciously possible,—­if only her father and mother would assist!  The mother, imprudent in this as in all things, had assented.  The reader knows the rest.

It was in every way possible.  ‘She will have money enough,’ the Duchess had said, ’if only her father can be brought to give it to you.’  So Tregear had set his heart upon it, and had said to himself that the thing was to be done.  Then his friend the Duchess had died, and the real difficulties had commenced.  From that day he had not seen his love, or heard from her.  How was he to know whether she would be true to him?  And where was he to seek for that sympathy which he felt to be so necessary to him?  A wild idea had come into his head that Mrs Finn would be his friend;—­but she had repudiated him.

He went straight home and at once wrote to the girl.  The letter was a simple love-letter, and as such need not be given here.  In what sweetest language he could find he assured her that even though he should never be allowed to see her or to hear from her, that still he should cling to her.  And then he added this passage:  ’If your love for me be what I think it is to be, no one can have a right to keep us apart.  Pray be sure that I shall not change.  If you change let me know it;—­but I shall as soon expect the heavens to fall.’

CHAPTER 24

She Must Be Made to Obey

Lady Mary Palliser down at the Horns had as much liberty allowed to as is usually given to young ladies in these very free days.  There was indeed no restriction placed upon her at all.  Had Tregear gone down to Richmond and asked for the young lady, and had Lady Cantrip at the time been out and the young lady at home, it would have depended altogether upon the young lady whether she would have seen her lover or not.  Nevertheless Lady Cantrip kept her eyes open, and when the letter came from Tregear she was aware that the letter had come.  But the letter found its way into Lady Mary’s hands and was read in the seclusion of her own bedroom.  ’I wonder whether you would mind reading that,’ she said very shortly afterwards to Lady Cantrip.  ‘What answer ought I to make?’

‘Do you think any answer ought to be made, my dear?’

‘Oh yes; I must answer him.’

‘Would your papa wish it?’

’I told papa that I would not promise not to write to him.  I think
I told him that he should see any letters that there were.  But if
I show them to you, I suppose that will do as well.’

‘You had better keep your word to him absolutely.’