She gave the promise, but there were two things in the matter, as it stood at present, which she did not at all like.  She was very averse to having any secret from her husband with Colonel Osborne; and she was not at all pleased at being told that he was doing for her a favour that he would not have done for any other living human being.  Had he said so to her yesterday, before those offensive words had been spoken by her husband, she would not have thought much about it.  She would have connected the man’s friendship for herself with his very old friendship for her father, and she would have regarded the assurance as made to the Rowleys in general, and not to herself in particular.  But now, after what had occurred, it pained her to be told by Colonel Osborne that he would make, specially on her behalf, a sacrifice of his political pride which he would make for no other person living.  And then, as he had called her by her Christian name, as he had exacted the promise, there had been a tone of affection in his voice that she had almost felt to be too warm.  But she gave the promise; and when he pressed her hand at parting, she pressed his again, in token of gratitude for the kindness to be done to her father and mother.

Immediately afterwards Colonel Osborne went away, and Mrs Trevelyan was left alone in her drawing-room.  She knew that her husband was still downstairs, and listened for a moment to hear whether he would now come up to her.  And he, too, had heard the Colonel’s step as he went, and for a few moments had doubted whether or no he would at once go to his wife.  Though he believed himself to be a man very firm of purpose, his mind had oscillated backwards and forwards within the last quarter of an hour between those two purposes of being round with his wife, and of begging her pardon for the words which he had already spoken.  He believed that he would best do his duty by that plan of being round with her; but then it would be so much pleasanter at any rate, so much easier, to beg her pardon.  But of one thing he was quite certain, he must by some means exclude Colonel Osborne from his house.  He could not live and continue to endure the feelings which he had suffered while sitting downstairs at his desk, with the knowledge that Colonel Osborne was closeted with his wife upstairs.  It might be that there was nothing in it.  That his wife was innocent he was quite sure.  But nevertheless, he was himself so much affected by some feeling which pervaded him in reference to this man, that all his energy was destroyed., and his powers of mind and body were paralysed.  He could not, and would not, stand it.  Rather than that, he would follow Mr Poole, and take his wife to Naples.  So resolving, he put his hat on his head and walked out of the house.  He would have the advantage of the afternoon’s consideration before he took either the one step or the other.