‘Perhaps it will be better,’ he answered.  His voice, too was very low.  In truth he was so moved that he hardly knew how to speak at all.  Then she rose and was already on her way on to the door when he followed her.  ‘One moment if you please,’ he said almost sternly.  ’I am under a debt of gratitude to you of which I cannot express my sense in words.  How far I may agree with you, and where I may disagree I will not attempt to point out to you now.’

‘Oh no.’

’But all that you have troubled yourself to think and to feel in this matter, and all that true friendship has compelled you to say to me, shall be written down in the tablets of my memory.’

‘Duke!’

’My child has at any rate been fortunate in securing the friendship of such a friend.’  Then he turned back to the fireplace, and she was constrained to leave the room without another word.

She had determined to make the best plea in her power for Mary; and while she was making the plea had been almost surprised by her own vehemence; but the greater had been her vehemence, the stronger, she thought, would have been the Duke’s anger.  And as she had watched the workings of his face she had felt for the moment, that the vials of his wrath were about to be poured upon her.  Even when she left the room she almost believed that had he not taken those moments for consideration at the fireplace his parting words would have been different.  But, as it was, there could be no question now of her departure.  No power was left to her of separating herself from Lady Mary.  Though the Duke had not as yet acknowledged himself to be conquered, there was no doubt to her now but that he would be conquered.  And she, either here or in London, must be the girl’s nearest friend up to the day when she should be given over to Mr Tregear.  That was one of the three attacks which were made upon the Duke before he went up to his parliamentary duties.

The second was as follows.  Among the letters on the following morning one was brought to him from Tregear.  It is hoped that the reader will remember the lover’s former letter and the very unsatisfactory answer which had been sent to it.  Nothing could have been colder, less propitious, or more inveterately hostile than the reply.  As he lay in bed with his broken bones at Harrington he had ample time for thinking over all this.  He knew every word of the Duke’s distressing note by heart, and had often lashed himself to rage as he had repeated it.  But he could effect nothing by showing his anger.  He must go on and still do something.  Since the writing of that letter he had done something.  He had got his seat in Parliament.  And he had secured the interest of his friend Silverbridge.  This had been partially done at Polwenning, but the accident in the Brake country had completed the work.  The brother had at last declared himself in his friend’s favour.  ’Of course I should be glad to see it,’ he had said while sitting by Tregear’s bedside.  ’The worst is that everything does seem to go against the poor governor.’