It was now some years since Lord Augustus had been at Mistletoe.  As he had never been separated,—­that is formally separated,—­from his wife he and she had been always invited there together.  Year after year she had accepted the invitation,—­and it had been declined on his behalf, because it did not suit him and his wife to meet each other.  But now he was obliged to go there, just at the time of the year when whist at his club was most attractive.  To meet the convenience of Lord Mistletoe,—­and the House of Commons—­a Saturday afternoon was named for the conference, which made it worse for Lord Augustus as he was one of a little party which had private gatherings for whist on Sunday afternoons.  But he went to the conference, travelling down by the same train with his nephew; but not in the same compartment, as he solaced with tobacco the time which Lord Mistletoe devoted to parliamentary erudition.

The four met in her Grace’s boudoir, and the Duke began by declaring that all this was very sad.  Lord Augustus shook his head and put his hands in his trousers pockets,—­which was as much as to say that his feelings as a British parent were almost too strong for him.  “Your mother and I think, that something ought to be done,” said the Duke turning to his son.

“Something ought to be done,” said Lord Mistletoe.

“They won’t let a fellow go out with a fellow now,” said Lord Augustus.

“Heaven forbid!” said the Duchess, raising both her hands.

“I was thinking, Mistletoe, that your mother might have met Lady Penwether.”

“What could I do with Lady Penwether, Duke?  Or what could she do with him?  A man won’t care for what his sister says to him.  And I don’t suppose she’d undertake to speak to Lord Rufford on the subject”

“Lady Penwether is an honourable and an accomplished woman.”

“I dare say;—­though she gives herself abominable airs.”

“Of course, if you don’t like it, my dear, it shan’t be pressed.”

“I thought, perhaps, you’d see him yourself,” said Lord Augustus, turning to his brother.  “You’d carry more weight than anybody.”

“Of course I will if it be necessary; but it would be disagreeable,—­very disagreeable.  The appeal should be made to his feelings, and that I think would better come through female influence.  As far as I know the world a man is always more prone to be led in such matters by a woman than by another man.”

“If you mean me,” said the Duchess, “I don’t think I could see him.  Of course, Augustus, I don’t wish to say anything hard of Arabella.  The fact that we have all met here to take her part will prove that, I think.  But I didn’t quite approve of all that was done here.”

Lord Augustus stroked his beard and looked out of the window.  “I don’t think, my dear, we need go into that just now,” said the Duke.

“Not at all,” said the Duchess, “and I don’t intend to say a word.  Only if I were to meet Lord Rufford he might refer to things which,—­which,—­which—.  In point of fact I had rather not”