’Poor girl!  Yes, Duke, upon the whole it is better that I should know it all,’ said Lady Cantrip.  ’Of course he will not come here.’

‘Oh dear; I hope not.’

‘Nor to The Horns.’

‘I hope he will never see her again anywhere,’ said the Duke.

‘Poor girl!’

’Have I not been right?  Is it not best to put an end to such a thing at once?’

’Certainly at once, if it has to be put an end to,—­and can be put an end to.’

‘It must be put an end to,’ said the Duke, very decidedly.  ’Do you not see that it must be so?  Who is Mr Tregear?’

‘I suppose they were allowed to be together?’

’He was unfortunately intimate with Silverbridge, who took him over to Italy.  He has nothing; not even a profession.’  Lady Cantrip could not but smile when she remembered the immense wealth of the man who was speaking to her;—­and the Duke saw the smile and understood it.  ’You will understand what I mean, Lady Cantrip.  If this young man were in other respects suitable, of course I could find an income for them.  But he is nothing; just an idle seeker for pleasure without the means of obtaining it.’

‘That is very bad.’

‘As for rank,’ continued the Duke energetically, ’I do not think that I am specially wedded to it.  I have found myself as willing to associate with those who are without it as with those who have it.  But for my child, I would wish her to mate with one of her own class.’

‘It would be best.’

’When a young man comes to me, though I believe him to be what is called a gentleman, has neither rank, nor means, nor profession, nor name, and asks for my daughter, surely I am right to say that such a marriage shall not be thought of.  Was I not right?’ demanded the Duke persistently.

’But it is a pity that it should be so.  It is a pity that they should ever have come together.’

’It is indeed, indeed to be lamented,—­and I will own at once that the fault was not hers.  Though I must be firm in this, you are not to suppose that I am angry with her.  I have myself been to blame.’  This he said with a resolution that,—­as he and his wife had been one flesh,—­all faults committed by her should, now that she was dead, be accepted by him as his faults.  ’It had not occurred to me that as yet she would love any man.’

‘Has it gone deep with her, Duke?’

‘I fear that all things go deep with her.’

‘Poor girl!’

’But they shall be kept apart!  As long as your great kindness is continued for her they shall be kept apart!’

’I do not think that I should be found good at watching a young lady.’

‘She will require no watching.’

’Then of course they will not meet.  She had better know that you have told me.’

‘She shall know it.’

’And let her know also that anything I can do to make her happy shall be done.  But, Duke, there is but one cure.’