Lady Mary and Mrs Finn were alone when the tidings came from Silverbridge. The Duke had been absent, having gone to spend an unpleasant week in Barsetshire. Mary had taken the opportunity of his absence to discuss her own prospects at full length. 'My dear,' said Mrs Finn, 'I will not express an opinion. Now can I after all that has passed? I have told the Duke the same. I cannot be heart and hand with either without being false to the other.' But still Lady Mary continued to talk about Tregear.
'I don't think papa has a right to treat me in this way,' she said. 'He wouldn't be allowed to kill me, and this is killing me.'
'While there is life there is hope,' said Mrs Finn.
'Yes; while there is life there is hope. But one doesn't want to grow old first.'
'There is no danger of that, Mary.'
'I feel very old. What is the use of life without something to make it sweet? I am not even allowed to hear anything that he is doing. If he were to ask me, I think I would go away with him tomorrow.'
'He would not be foolish enough for that.'
'Because he does not suffer as I do. He has his borough, and his public life, and a hundred things to think of. I have got nothing but him. I know he is true;--quite as true as I am. But it is I that have the suffering in all this. A man can never be like a girl. Papa ought not to make me suffer like this.'
That took place on the Monday. On the Tuesday Mrs Finn received a letter from her husband giving an account of the accident. 'As far as I can learn,' he said, 'Silverbridge will write about it tomorrow.' Then he went on to give a by no means good account of the state of the patient. The doctor had declared him to be out of immediate danger, and had set the broken bones. As tidings would be sent on the next day she had better say nothing about the accident to Lady Mary. This letter reached Matching on Tuesday and made the position of Mrs Finn very disagreeable. She was bound to carry herself as though nothing was amiss, knowing as she did so, the condition of Mary's lover.
On the evening of the next day Lady Mary was more lively than usual, though her liveliness was hardly of a happy nature. 'I don't know what papa can expect. I've heard him say a hundred times that to be in Parliament is the highest place a gentleman can fill, and now Frank is in Parliament.' Mrs Finn looked at her with beseeching eyes, as though begging her not to speak of Tregear. 'And then think of their having that Lord Popplecourt there! I shall always hate Lady Cantrip, for it was her place.
That she should have thought it possible! Lord Popplecourt! Such a creature. Hyperion to a satyr. Isn't it true? Oh that papa should have thought it possible!' Then she got up, and walked about the room, beating her hands together. All this time Mrs Finn knew that Tregear was lying at Harrington with half his bones broken, and in danger of his life!
On the next morning Lady Mary received her letters. There were two lying before her plate when she came into breakfast, one from her father and the other from Silverbridge. She read that from the Duke first while Mrs Finn was watching her. 'Papa will be home on Saturday,' she said. 'He declares that the people in the borough are quite delighted with Silverbridge for a member. And he is quite jocose. "They used to be delighted with me once," he says, "but I suppose everybody changes."' Then she began to pour out the tea before she opened her brother's letter. Mrs Finn's eyes were still on her anxiously. 'I wonder what Silverbridge has got to say about the Brake Hunt.' Then she opened her letter.
'Oh;--oh!' she exclaimed,--'Frank has killed himself.'
'Killed himself! Not that. It is not so bad as that.'
'You had heard it before?'
'How is he, Mary?'
'Oh, heavens! I cannot read it. Do you read it. Tell me all. Tell me the truth. What am I to do? Where shall I go?' Then she threw up her hands, and with a loud scream fell on her knees with her head upon the chair. In the next moment Mrs Finn was down beside her on the floor. 'Read it; why do you not read it? If you will not read it, give it to me.'
Mrs Finn did read the letter, which was very short, but still giving by no means an unfavourable account of the patient. 'I am sorry to say he has broken ever so many bones, and we were very much frightened about him.' Then the writer went into details, from which the reader who did not read the whole words carefully might well imagine that the man's life was still in danger.
Mrs Finn did read it all, and did her best to comfort her friend.
'It has been a bad accident,' she said, 'but it is clear that he id getting better. Men do so often break their bones, and then seem to think nothing of it afterwards.'
'Silverbridge says it was his fault. What does he mean?'
'I suppose he was riding too close to Mr Tregear, and that they came down together. Of course it is distressing, but I do not think you need make yourself positively unhappy about it.'
'Would you not be unhappy if it were Mr Finn?' said Mary, jumping up from her knees. 'I shall go to him. I should go mad if I were to remain here and know nothing about it but what Silverbridge will tell me.'
'I will telegraph Mr Finn.'