‘Yes, I know that.’

‘And why not?’

‘Would Lord Grex allow Percival to have his friends living here?’ Lord Grex was Lady Mabel’s father, Lord Percival was the Earl’s son;—­and the Earl lived in Belgrave Square.  All these little bits of the horse.

‘Certainly not.  In the first place, I am here.’

‘That makes a difference, certainly.’

’Of course it makes a difference.  They would be wanting to make love to me.’

‘No doubt.  I should, I know.’

’And therefore it wouldn’t do for you to live here, and then papa is living here himself.  And then the permission never has been given.  I suppose Frank did not go there without the Duke knowing it.’

‘I daresay that I mentioned it.’

‘You might as well tell me about it.  We are cousins, you know.’  Frank Tregear, through his mother’s family, was second cousin to Lady Mabel; as was also Lord Silverbridge, one of the Grexes having, at some remote period, married a Palliser.  This is another bit of the horse.

’The governor merely seemed to think that he would like to have his own house to himself,—­like other people.  What an ass Tregear was to say anything to you about it.’

’I don’t think he was an ass at all.  Of course he had to tell us that he was changing his residence.  He says that he is going to take a back bedroom somewhere near the Seven Dials.’

‘He has got very nice rooms in Duke Street.’

‘Have you seen him, then?’

‘Of course I have.’

’Poor fellow!  I wish he had a little money; he is so nice.  And now, Lord Silverbridge, do you mean to say that there is something in the wind about Lady Mary?’

‘If there were I should not talk about it,’ said Lord
Silverbridge.

‘You are a very innocent young gentleman.’

‘And you are a very interesting young lady.’

’You ought to think me so, for I interest myself very much about you.  Was the Duke very angry about your not standing for the county?’

‘He was vexed.’

’I do think it is so odd that a man should be expected to be this or that in politics because his father happened to be so before him!  I don’t understand how he should expect that you should remain with a party so utterly snobbish and down in the world as the Radicals.  Everybody that is worth anything is leaving them.’

‘He has not left them.’

‘No, I don’t suppose he could; but you have.’

‘I never belonged to them, Lady Mab.’

’And never will, I hope.  I always told papa that you would certainly be one of us.’  All this took place in the drawing-room of Lord Grex’s house.  There was no Lady Grex alive, but there lived with the Earl, a certain elderly lady, reported in some distant way a cousin of the family, named Miss Cassewary, who in the matter of looking after Lady Mab, did what was supposed to be absolutely necessary.  She now entered the room with her bonnet on, having just returned from church.  ‘What was the text?’ asked Lady Mab at once.