The Duke's Guests
"The Duke of Omnium presents his compliments to Mr. Francis Tregear,
and begs to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Tregear's letter of ----.
The Duke has no other communication to make to Mr. Tregear, and must
beg to decline any further correspondence." This was the reply which
the Duke wrote to the applicant for his daughter's hand. And he wrote
it at once. He had acknowledged to himself that Tregear had shown a
certain manliness in his appeal; but not on that account was such a
man to have all that he demanded! It seemed to the Duke that there
was no alternative between such a note as that given above and a
total surrender.
But the post did not go out during the night, and the note lay hidden
in the Duke's private drawer till the morning. There was still that
"locus poenitentiæ" which should be accorded to all letters written
in anger. During the day he thought over it all constantly, not
in any spirit of yielding, not descending a single step from that
altitude of conviction which made him feel that it might be his duty
absolutely to sacrifice his daughter,--but asking himself whether it
might not be well that he should explain the whole matter at length
to the young man. He thought he could put the matter strongly. It
was not by his own doing that he belonged to an aristocracy which,
if all exclusiveness were banished from it, must cease to exist.
But being what he was, having been born to such privileges and
such limitations, was he not bound in duty to maintain a certain
exclusiveness? He would appeal to the young man himself to say
whether marriage ought to be free between all classes of the
community. And if not between all, who was to maintain the limits but
they to whom authority in such matters is given? So much in regard
to rank! And then he would ask this young man whether he thought
it fitting that a young man whose duty, according to all known
principles, it must be to earn his bread, should avoid that manifest
duty by taking a wife who could maintain him. As he roamed about his
park alone he felt that he could write such a letter as would make an
impression even upon a lover. But when he had come back to his study,
other reflections came to his aid. Though he might write the most
appropriate letter in the world, would there not certainly be a
reply? As to conviction, had he ever known an instance of a man
who had been convinced by an adversary? Of course there would be a
reply,--and replies. And to such a correspondence there would be
no visible end. Words when once written remain, or may remain, in
testimony for ever. So at last when the moment came he sent off those
three lines, with his uncourteous compliments and his demand that
there should be no further correspondence.
At dinner he endeavoured to make up for this harshness by increased
tenderness to his daughter, who was altogether ignorant of the
correspondence. "Have you written your letters, dear?" She said she
had written them.
"I hope the people will come."
"If it will make you comfortable, papa!"
"It is for your sake I wish them to be here. I think that Lady Mabel
and Miss Boncassen are just such girls as you would like."
"I do like them; only--"
"Only what?"
"Miss Boncassen is an American."
"Is that an objection? According to my ideas it is desirable to
become acquainted with persons of various nations. I have heard, no
doubt, many stories of the awkward manners displayed by American
ladies. If you look for them you may probably find American women who
are not polished. I do not think I shall calumniate my own country if
I say the same of English women. It should be our object to select
for our own acquaintances the best we can find of all countries. It
seems to me that Miss Boncassen is a young lady with whom any other
young lady might be glad to form an acquaintance."
This was a little sermon which Mary was quite contented to endure in
silence. She was, in truth, fond of the young American beauty, and
had felt a pleasure in the intimacy which the girl had proposed to
her. But she thought it inexpedient that Miss Boncassen, Lady Mabel,
and Silverbridge should be at Matching together. Therefore she made a
reply to her father's sermon which hardly seemed to go to the point
at issue. "She is so beautiful!" she said.
"Very beautiful," said the Duke. "But what has that to do with it?
My girl need not be jealous of any girl's beauty." Mary laughed and
shook her head. "What is it, then?"
"Perhaps Silverbridge might admire her."
"I have no doubt he would,--or does, for I am aware that they have
met. But why should he not admire her?"
"I don't know," said Lady Mary sheepishly.
"I fancy that there is no danger in that direction. I think
Silverbridge understands what is expected from him." Had not
Silverbridge plainly shown that he understood what was expected from
him when he selected Lady Mabel? Nothing could have been more proper,
and the Duke had been altogether satisfied. That in such a matter
there should have been a change in so short a time did not occur to
him. Poor Mary was now completely silenced. She had been told that
Silverbridge understood what was expected from him; and of course
could not fail to carry home to herself an accusation that she failed
to understand what was expected from her.
She had written her letters, but had not as yet sent them. Those to
Mrs. Finn and to the two young ladies had been easy enough. Could Mr.
and Mrs. Finn come to Matching on the 20th of November? "Papa says
that you promised to return, and thinks this time will perhaps
suit you." And then to Lady Mabel: "Do come if you can; and papa
particularly says that he hopes Miss Cassewary will come also." To
Miss Boncassen she had written a long letter, but that too had been
written very easily. "I write to you instead of your mamma, because I
know you. You must tell her that, and then she will not be angry. I
am only papa's messenger, and I am to say how much he hopes that you
will come on the 20th. Mr. Boncassen is to bring the whole British
Museum if he wishes." Then there was a little postscript which showed
that there was already considerable intimacy between the two young
ladies. "We won't have either Mr. L. or Lord P." Not a word was said
about Lord Silverbridge. There was not even an initial to indicate
his name.
But the letter to her brother was more difficult. In her epistles to
those others she had so framed her words as if possible to bring them
to Matching. But in writing to her brother, she was anxious so to
write as to deter him from coming. She was bound to obey her father's
commands. He had desired that Silverbridge should be asked to
come,--and he was asked to come. But she craftily endeavoured so to
word the invitation that he should be induced to remain away. "It is
all papa's doing," she said; "and I am glad that he should like to
have people here. I have asked the Finns, with whom papa seems to
have made up everything. Mr. Warburton will be here of course, and I
think Mr. Moreton is coming. He seems to think that a certain amount
of shooting ought to be done. Then I have invited Lady Mabel Grex and
Miss Cassewary,--all of papa's choosing, and the Boncassens. Now you
will know whether the set will suit you. Papa has particularly begged
that you will come,--apparently because of Lady Mabel. I don't at all
know what that means. Perhaps you do. As I like Lady Mabel, I hope
she will come." Surely Silverbridge would not run himself into the
jaws of the lion. When he heard that he was specially expected by
his father to come to Matching in order that he might make himself
agreeable to one young lady, he would hardly venture to come, seeing
that he would be bound to make love to another young lady!
To Mary's great horror, all the invitations were accepted. Mr. and
Mrs. Finn were quite at the Duke's disposal. That she had expected.
The Boncassens would all come. This was signified in a note from
Isabel, which covered four sides of the paper and was full of fun.
But under her signature had been written a few words,--not in
fun,--words which Lady Mary perfectly understood. "I wonder, I
wonder, I wonder!" Did the Duke when inviting her know anything of
his son's inclinations? Would he be made to know them now, during
this visit? And what would he say when he did know them?
That the Boncassens would come was a matter of course; but Mary had
thought that Lady Mabel would refuse. She had told Lady Mabel that
the Boncassens had been asked, and to her thinking it had not been
improbable that the young lady would be unwilling to meet her rival
at Matching. But the invitation was accepted.
But it was her brother's ready acquiescence which troubled Mary
chiefly. He wrote as though there were no doubt about the matter.
"Of course there is a deal of shooting to be done," he said, "and I
consider myself bound to look after it. There ought not to be less
than four guns,--particularly if Warburton is to be one of them. I
like Warburton very much, and I think he shoots badly to ingratiate
himself with the governor. I wonder whether the governor would get
leave for Gerald for a week. He has been sticking to his work like
a brick. If not, would he mind my bringing someone? You ask the
governor and let me know. I'll be there on the 20th. I wonder whether
they'll let me hear what goes on among them about politics. I'm sure
there is not one of them hates Sir Timothy worse than I do. Lady Mab
is a brick, and I'm glad you have asked her. I don't think she'll
come, as she likes shutting herself up at Grex. Miss Boncassen is
another brick. And if you can manage about Gerald I will say that you
are a third."
This would have been all very well had she not known that secret.
Could it be that Miss Boncassen had been mistaken? She was forced to
write again to say that her father did not think it right that Gerald
should be brought away from his studies for the sake of shooting, and
that the necessary fourth gun would be there in the person of one
Barrington Erle. Then she added: "Lady Mabel Grex is coming, and so
is Miss Boncassen." But to this she received no reply.
Though Silverbridge had written to his sister in his usual careless
style, he had considered the matter much. The three months were over.
He had no idea of any hesitation on his part. He had asked her to be
his wife, and he was determined to go on with his suit. Had he ever
been enabled to make the same request to Mabel Grex, or had she
answered him when he did half make it in a serious manner, he would
have been true to her. He had not told his father, or his sister,
or his friends, as Isabel had suggested. He would not do so till
he should have received some more certain answer from her. But in
respect to his love he was prepared to be quite as obstinate as his
sister. It was a matter for his own consideration, and he would
choose for himself. The three months were over, and it was now his
business to present himself to the lady again.
That Lady Mabel should also be at Matching, would certainly be a
misfortune. He thought it probable that she, knowing that Isabel
Boncassen and he would be there together, would refuse the
invitation. Surely she ought to do so. That was his opinion when he
wrote to his sister. When he heard afterwards that she intended to
be there, he could only suppose that she was prepared to accept the
circumstances as they stood.