’Dear Gerald,

’What an ass you have been!  But I don’t suppose you are worse than I was at Doncaster.  I will have nothing to do with such people as Comfort and Criball.  That is the sure way to the D-!  As for telling Morton, that is only a polite and roundabout way of telling the governor.  He would immediately ask the governor what was to be done.  You will see what I have done.  Of course I must tell the governor before the end of February, as I cannot get the money in any other way.  But that I will do.  It does seem hard upon him.  Not that the money will hurt him much; but that he would like to have a steady-going son.

’I suppose Percival won’t make any bother about the I O U. He’ll be a fool if he does.  I wouldn’t kick him if I were you,—­unless he says anything very bad.  You would be sure to come to grief somehow.  He is a beast.

’Your affectionate Brother,
Silverbridge.’

With these letters that special grief was removed from his mind for awhile.  Looking over the dark river of possible trouble which seemed to run between the present moment and the time at which the money must be procured, he thought that he had driven off this calamity of Gerald’s to infinite distance.  But into that dark river he must now plunge almost at once.  On the next day, he managed so that there should be no walk with Mabel.  In the evening he could see that the Duke was uneasy;—­but not a word was said to him.  On the following morning Lady Mabel took her departure.  When she went from the door, both the Duke and Silverbridge were there to bid her farewell.  She smiled and was as gracious as though everything had gone according to her heart’s delight.  ’Dear Duke, I am so obliged to you for your kindness,’ she said, as she put up her cheek for him to kiss.  Then she gave her hand to Silverbridge.  ‘Of course you will come and see me in town.’  And she smiled upon them all;—­having courage enough to keep down all her sufferings.

‘Come in here a moment, Silverbridge,’ said the father as they returned into the house together.  ’How is it now between you and her?’

CHAPTER 61

‘Bone of my Bone’

‘How is it between you and her?’ That was the question which the Duke put to his son as soon as he had closed the door of the study.  Lady Mabel had been dismissed from the front door on her journey, and there could be no doubt as to the ‘her’ intended.  No such question would have been asked had not Silverbridge himself declared to his father his purpose of making Lady Mabel his wife.  On that subject the Duke, without such authority, would not have interfered.  But he had been consulted, had acceded, and had encouraged the idea by excessive liberality on his part.  He had never dropped it out of his mind for a moment.  But when he found that the girl was leaving his house without any explanation, then he became restless and inquisitive.