At first the conversation was about indifferent things,--Killancodlem and Mrs Jones, Crummie-Toddie and Reginald Dobbs.
They had gone along the high-road as far as the post-office, and had turned through the wood and reached a seat whence there was a beautiful view down upon the Archay before a word was said affecting either Miss Boncassen or the ring. 'You got the ring safe,' she said.
'Oh yes.'
'How could you be so foolish as to risk it?'
'I did not regard it as mine. You had accepted it,--I thought.'
'But if I had, and then repented of my fault in doing so, should you not have been willing to help me in setting myself right with myself? Of course after what had passed, it was a trouble to me when it came. what was I to do? for a day or two I thought I would take it, not as liking to take it, but as getting rid of the trouble in that way. Then I remembered its value, its history, the fact that all who knew you would want to know what had become of it,--and I felt that it should be given back. There is only one person to whom we must give it.'
'Who is that?' he said quickly.
'Your wife;--or to her who is to become your wife. No other woman can be justified in accepting such a present.'
'There has been a great deal more said about it than it's worth,' said he, not anxious at the present moment to discuss any matrimonial projects with her. 'Shall we go to the Fall?' Then she got up and led the way till they came to the little bridge from which they could see the Falls of the Codlem below them. 'I call that very pretty,' he said.
'I thought you would like it.'
'I never saw anything of that kind more jolly. Do you care for scenery, Mabel?'
'Very much. I know no pleasure equal to it. You have never seen Grex?'
'Is it like this?'
'Not in the least. It is wilder than this, and there are not so many trees; but to my eye it is very beautiful. I wish you had seen it.'
'Perhaps I may some day.'
'That is not likely now,' she said. 'The house is in ruins. If I had just money enough to keep it for myself, I think I could live alone there and be happy.'
'You;--alone. Of course you mean to marry?'
'Mean to marry! Do persons marry because they mean it? With nineteen men out of twenty the idea of marrying them would convey the idea of hating them. No doubt you do mean it.'
'I suppose I shall,--some day. How very well the house looks from here.' It was incumbent upon him at the present moment to turn the conversation.
But when she had a project in her head it was not easy to turn her away. 'Yes indeed,' she said, 'very well. But as I was saying,--you can mean to marry.'
'Anybody can mean it.'
'But you can carry out a purpose. What are you thinking of doing now?'
'Upon my honour, Mabel, that is unfair.'
'Are we not friends?'
'I think so.'
'Dear friends?'
'I hope so.'
'Then may I not tell you what I think? If you do not mean to marry that American young lady you should not raise false hopes.'
'False hopes!' He had hopes, but he had never thought that Isabel could have any.
'False hopes;--certainly. Do you not know that everyone was looking at you last night?'
'Certainly not.'
'And that old woman is going about talking of it as her doing, pretending to be afraid of your father, whereas nothing would please her better than to humble a family so high as yours.'
'Humble!' exclaimed Lord Silverbridge.
'Do you think your father would like it? Would you think that another man would be doing well for himself by marrying Miss Boncassen?'
'I do,' said he energetically.
'Then you must be very much in love with her.'
'I say nothing about that.'
'If you are so much in love with her that you mean to face the displeasure of your friends--'
'I do not say what I mean. I could talk more freely to you than to anyone else, but I won't talk about that even to you. As regards Miss Boncassen, I think that any man might marry her, without discredit. I won't have it said that she can be inferior to me,--or to anybody.'
There was a steady manliness in this which took Lady Mabel by surprise. She was convinced that he intended to offer his hand to the girl, and now was actuated chiefly by a feeling that his doing so would be an outrage to all English propriety. If a word might have an effect it would be her duty to speak the word. 'I think you are wrong there, Lord Silverbridge.'
'I am sure I am right.'
'What have you yourself felt about your sister and Mr Tregear?'
'It is altogether different;--altogether. Frank's wife will be simply his wife. Mine, should I outlive my father, will be the Duchess of Omnium.'
'But your father? I have heard you speak with better regret of this affair of Lady Mary's because it vexes him. Would your marriage with an American lady vex him less?'
'Why should it vex him at all? Is she vulgar, or ill to look at, or stupid?'
'Think of her mother.'
'I am not going to marry her mother. Or for that matter am I going to marry her. You are taking all that for granted in most unfair way.'
'How can I help it after what I say yesterday?'