The Dukes Children | Page 8

Cantrip might have occupied. But the girl's manner and the girl's
speech about her own mother, overcame her. It was the unintentional
revelation of the Duchess's constant reference to her,--the way in which
Lady Mary would assert that 'Mamma used always to say this of you;
mamma always knew that you would think so and so; mamma used to
say that you had told her'. It was the feeling thus conveyed, that the
mother who was now dead had in her daily dealings with her own child
spoke of her as her nearest friend, which mainly served to conquer the
deference of manner which she had assumed.
Then gradually there came confidences,--and at last absolute
confidence. The whole story of Mr Tregear was told. Yes; she loved Mr
Tregear. She had given him her heart, and had told him so.
'Then, my dear, your father ought to know about it,' said Mrs Finn.
'No; not yet. Mamma knew it.'

'Did she know all that you have told me?'
'Yes; all. And Mr Tregear spoke to her, and she said that papa ought not
to be told quite yet.' Mrs Finn could not but remember that the friend
she had lost was not, among women, the one best able to give a girl
good counsel in such a crisis.
'Why not yet, dear?'
'Well, because-. It is very hard to explain. In the first place, because Mr
Tregear himself does not wish it.'
'That is a very bad reason; the worst in the world.'
'Of course you will say so. Of course everybody would say so. But
when there is one person whom one loves better than all the rest, for
whom one would be ready to die, to whom one is determined that
everything shall be devoted, surely the wishes of the person so dear as
that ought to have weight.'
'Not in persuading you to do that which is acknowledged to be wrong.'
'What wrong? I am going to do nothing wrong.'
'The very concealment of your love is wrong, after that love has been
not only given but declared. A girl's position in such matters is so
delicate, especially that of such a girl as you!'
'I know all about that,' said Lady Mary, with something almost like
scorn in her tone. 'Of course I have to be--delicate. I don't quite know
what the word means. I am not ashamed of being in love with Mr
Tregear. He is a gentleman, highly educated, very clever, of an old
family,--older, I believe, than papa's. And he is manly and handsome;
just what a man should be. Only he is not rich.'
'If he be all that you say, ought you not to trust your papa? If he
approve of it, he should give you money.'
'Of course he must be told; but not now. He is nearly broken- hearted

about dear mamma. He could not bring himself to care about anything
of that kind at present. And then it is Mr Tregear that should speak to
him first.'
'Not now, Mary.'
'How do you mean not now?'
'If you had a mother you would talk to her about it.'
'Mamma knew.'
'If she were still living she would tell your father.'
'But she didn't tell him, though she did know. She didn't mean to tell
him quite yet. She wanted to see Mr Tregear here in England first. Of
course I shall do nothing till papa does know.'
'You will not see him?'
'How can I see him here? He will not come here, if you mean that.'
'You do not correspond with him?' Here for the first time the girl
blushed. 'Oh, Mary! if you are writing to him your father ought to know
it.'
'I have not written to him; but when he heard how ill poor mamma was,
then he wrote to me--twice. You may see his letters. It is all about her.
No one worshiped mamma as he did.'
Gradually the whole story was told. These two young persons
considered themselves to be engaged, but had agreed that their
engagement should not be made known to the Duke till something had
occurred, or some time had arrived, as to which Mr Tregear was to be
the judge. In Mrs Finn's opinion nothing could be more unwise, and she
made to induce the girl to confess everything to her father at once. But
in all her arguments she was opposed by the girl's reference to her
mother. 'Mamma knew it.' And it did certainly seem to Mrs Finn as
though the mother had assented to this imprudent concealment. When

she endeavoured, in her own mind, to make excuse for her friend, she
felt almost sure that the Duchess, with all her courage, had been afraid
to propose to her