“I am sure that you, George, must feel that it is absolutely necessary for us to keep this matter to ourselves.”

The Rev. George said, gravely, “I do not indeed see what blessing can rest on our interference in such an inexpressibly shocking business.  It is for Marmaduke to wrestle with his own conscience.”

“Quite so,” said the Countess, shrugging her shoulders as if to invite her absent son’s attention to this confirmation of her judgment.  “Is it not absurd of Jasper to snatch at such an excuse for breaking off the match?”

“I can sympathize with Jasper’s feeling, I trust.  It is natural for a candid nature to recoil from duplicity.  But all our actions need charitable construction; and, remembering that, we should take heed to prevent our forebearance toward others from wavering.  Who knows that the alliance with your pure and lovely daughter may not be the means specially ordained to rescue him from his present condition.”

“I think it very possible,” drawled the Countess, looking at him, nevertheless, with a certain contempt for what she privately considered his priggish, underbred cant.  “Besides, such things are recognized, though of course they are not spoken of.  No lady could with common decency pretend to know that such connexions are possible, much less assign one of them as a reason for breaking off an engagement.”

“Pardon me,” said the Rev. George; “but can these worldly considerations add anything to the approval of our consciences?  I think not.  We will keep our own counsel in this matter in the sight of Heaven.  Then, whatever the world may think, all will surely come right in the end.”

“Oh, it is sure to come right in the end:  these wretched businesses always do.  I cannot imagine men having such low tastes—­as if there were anything in these women more than in anybody else!  Come into the drawing-room, George.”

They went into the drawing-room and found it deserted.  The ladies were in the veranda.  The Countess took up the paper and composed herself for a nap.  George went into the porch, where the girls, having seen the sun go down, were now watching the deepening gloom among the trees that skirted the lawn.  Marian proposed that they should walk through the plantation whilst there was still a little light left, and the clergyman readily assented.  He rather repented of this when they got into the deep gloom under the trees, and Elinor began to tell stories about adders, wild cats, poachers, and anything else that could possibly make a nervous man uncomfortable under such circumstances.  He was quite relieved when they saw the spark of a cigaret ahead of them and heard the voices of Jasper and Conolly coming toward them through the darkness.

“Oh, I believe I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Conolly,” said the Rev. George, formally, when they met.  “I am glad to see you.”

“Thank you,” said Conolly.  “If you ladies have thin shoes on as usual, we had better come out of this.”