‘Why should that bring him up?’

’I suppose he hopes to be able to talk me into obedience.  He wants me to stand for the county—­as a Liberal, of course.  I intend to stand for the borough as a Conservative, and I have told them so down at Silverbridge.  I am very sorry to annoy him, and all that kind of thing.  But what the deuce is a fellow to do?  If a man has got political convictions of his own, of course he must stick to them.’  This the young Lord said with a good deal of self-assurance, as though he, by the light of his own reason, had ascertained on which side the truth lay in the political contests of the day.

’There is a good deal to be said on both sides of the question, my boy.’  At this particular moment Tregear felt that the Duke ought to be propitiated.

‘You wouldn’t have me give up my convictions!’

‘A seat in Parliament is a great thing.’

’I can probably secure that, whichever side I take.  I thought you were so devilish hot against the Radicals.’

’So I am.  But then you are, as it were, bound by family allegiance.’

’I’ll be shot if I am.  One never knows how to understand you nowadays.  It used to be a great doctrine with you that nothing should induce a man to vote against his political opinion.’

’So it is,—­if he has really got any.  However, as your father is coming to London, I need not go down to Matching.’

‘You don’t mean that you were going to Matching?’

’I had intended to beard the lion in his country den; but now the lion will find me in his own town den, and I must beard him here.’

Then Tregear wrote a most chilling note to Mrs Finn, informing her with great precision, that, as the Duke of Omnium intended to be in town one day next week, he would postpone the performance of his promise for a day or two beyond the allotted time.

CHAPTER 5

It is Impossible

Down at Matching Lady Mary’s life was very dull after Mrs Finn had left her.  She had a horse to ride, but had no one to ride with her; she had a carriage in which to be driven, but no one to be driven with her, and no special places whither to go.  Her father would walk daily for two hours, and she would accompany him when he encouraged her to do so; but she had an idea that he preferred taking his walks alone, and when they were together there was no feeling of confidence between them.  There could be none on her part, as she knew that she was keeping back information which he was entitled to possess.  On this matter she received two letters from Mrs Finn, in the first of which she was told that Mr Tregear intended to present himself at Matching within a few days, and was advised in the same letter not to endeavour to see her lover on that occasion; and then, in the second she was informed that this interview with her father was to be sought not at Matching but in London.