‘Your sister,’ whispered the poor fellow from the pillow.

‘Yes,—­yes;—­yes, I will.’

‘And Mabel Grex.’  Silverbridge nodded assent and again went to the writing-table.  He did write to his sister, and in plain words told her everything.  ‘The doctor says he is not now in danger.’  Then he added a postscript.  ’As long as I am here I will let you know how he is.’

CHAPTER 64

‘I Believe Him to be a Worthy Young Man’

Lady Mary and Mrs Finn were alone when the tidings came from Silverbridge.  The Duke had been absent, having gone to spend an unpleasant week in Barsetshire.  Mary had taken the opportunity of his absence to discuss her own prospects at full length.  ’My dear,’ said Mrs Finn, ’I will not express an opinion.  How can I after all that has passed?  I have told the Duke the same.  I cannot be heart and hand with either without being false to the other.’  But still Lady Mary continued to talk about Tregear.

‘I don’t think papa has a right to treat me in this way,’ she said.  ‘He wouldn’t be allowed to kill me, and this is killing me.’

‘While there is life there is hope,’ said Mrs Finn.

’Yes; while there is life there is hope.  But one doesn’t want to grow old first.’

‘There is no danger of that, Mary.’

’I feel very old.  What is the use of life without something to make it sweet?  I am not even allowed to hear anything that he is doing.  If he were to ask me, I think I would go away with him tomorrow.’

‘He would not be foolish enough for that.’

’Because he does not suffer as I do.  He has his borough, and his public life, and a hundred things to think of.  I have got nothing but him.  I know he is true;—­quite as true as I am.  But it is I that have the suffering in all this.  A man can never be like a girl.  Papa ought not to make me suffer like this.’

That took place on the Monday.  On the Tuesday Mrs Finn received a letter from her husband giving an account of the accident.  ’As far as I can learn,’ he said, ’Silverbridge will write about it tomorrow.’  Then he went on to give a by no means good account of the state of the patient.  The doctor had declared him to be out of immediate danger, and had set the broken bones.  As tidings would be sent on the next day she had better say nothing about the accident to Lady Mary.  This letter reached Matching on Tuesday and made the position of Mrs Finn very disagreeable.  She was bound to carry herself as though nothing was amiss, knowing as she did so, the condition of Mary’s lover.