‘Perhaps I may some day.’

‘That is not likely now,’ she said.  ’The house is in ruins.  If I had just money enough to keep it for myself, I think I could live alone there and be happy.’

‘You;—­alone.  Of course you mean to marry?’

’Mean to marry!  Do persons marry because they mean it?  With nineteen men out of twenty the idea of marrying them would convey the idea of hating them.  No doubt you do mean it.’

’I suppose I shall,—­some day.  How very well the house looks from here.’  It was incumbent upon him at the present moment to turn the conversation.

But when she had a project in her head it was not easy to turn her away.  ‘Yes indeed,’ she said, ’very well.  But as I was saying,—­you can mean to marry.’

‘Anybody can mean it.’

’But you can carry out a purpose.  What are you thinking of doing now?’

‘Upon my honour, Mabel, that is unfair.’  ‘Are we not friends?’

‘I think so.’

‘Dear friends?’

‘I hope so.’

’Then may I not tell you what I think?  If you do not mean to marry that American young lady you should not raise false hopes.’

‘False hopes!’ He had hopes, but he had never thought that Isabel could have any.

’False hopes;—­certainly.  Do you not know that everyone was looking at you last night?’

‘Certainly not.’

’And that old woman is going about talking of it as her doing, pretending to be afraid of your father, whereas nothing would please her better than to humble a family so high as yours.’

‘Humble!’ exclaimed Lord Silverbridge.

’Do you think your father would like it?  Would you think that another man would be doing well for himself by marrying Miss Boncassen?’

‘I do,’ said he energetically.

‘Then you must be very much in love with her.’

‘I say nothing about that.’

’If you are so much in love with her that you mean to face the displeasure of your friends—­’

’I do not say what I mean.  I could talk more freely to you than to anyone else, but I won’t talk about that even to you.  As regards Miss Boncassen, I think that any man might marry her, without discredit.  I won’t have it said that she can be inferior to me,—­or to anybody.’

There was a steady manliness in this which took Lady Mabel by surprise.  She was convinced that he intended to offer his hand to the girl, and now was actuated chiefly by a feeling that his doing so would be an outrage to all English propriety.  If a word might have an effect it would be her duty to speak the word.  ’I think you are wrong there, Lord Silverbridge.’

‘I am sure I am right.’

‘What have you yourself felt about your sister and Mr Tregear?’

’It is altogether different;—­altogether.  Frank’s wife will be simply his wife.  Mine, should I outlive my father, will be the Duchess of Omnium.’