The Palliser Novels (563 page)

In the midst of all these troubles he went down to dinner. “Lady Mabel,” said the Duke, “tells me that you two have been to see Sir Guy’s look-out.”

She was standing close to the Duke and whispered a word into his ear. “You said you would call me Mabel.”

“Yes, sir,” said Silverbridge, “and I have made up my mind that Sir Guy never stayed there very long in winter. It was awfully cold.”

“I had furs on,” said Mabel. “What a lovely spot it is, even in this weather.” Then dinner was announced. She had not been cold. She could still feel the tingling heat of her blood as she had implored him to love her.

Silverbridge felt that he must write to his brother by the first post. The communication was of a nature that would bear no delay. If his hands had been free he would himself have gone off to Auld Reikie. At last he made up his mind. The first letter he wrote was neither to Nidderdale nor to Gerald, but to Lord Percival himself.
 

Dear Percival
,

Gerald writes me word that he has lost to you at cards £3,400, and he wants me to get him the money. It is a terrible nuisance, and he has been an ass. But of course I shall stand to him for anything he wants. I haven’t got £3,400 in my pocket, and I don’t know any one who has; — that is among our set. But I send you my I.O.U. for the amount, and will promise to get you the money in two months. I suppose that will be sufficient, and that you will not bother Gerald any more about it.

Yours truly,

Silverbridge
.
 

Then he copied this letter and enclosed the copy in another which he wrote to his brother.
 

Dear Gerald
,

What an ass you have been! But I don’t suppose you are worse than I was at Doncaster. I will have nothing to do with such people as Comfort and Criball. That is the sure way to the
D––––!
As for telling Moreton, that is only a polite and roundabout way of telling the governor. He would immediately ask the governor what was to be done. You will see what I have done. Of course I must tell the governor before the end of February, as I cannot get the money in any other way. But that I will do. It does seem hard upon him. Not that the money will hurt him much; but that he would so like to have a steady-going son.

I suppose Percival won’t make any bother about the I.O.U. He’ll be a fool if he does. I wouldn’t kick him if I were you, — unless he says anything very bad. You would be sure to come to grief somehow. He is a beast.

Your affectionate Brother,

Silverbridge
.
 

With these letters that special grief was removed from his mind for awhile. Looking over the dark river of possible trouble which seemed to run between the present moment and the time at which the money must be procured, he thought that he had driven off this calamity of Gerald’s to infinite distance. But into that dark river he must now plunge almost at once. On the next day, he managed so that there should be no walk with Mabel. In the evening he could see that the Duke was uneasy; — but not a word was said to him. On the following morning Lady Mabel took her departure. When she went from the door, both the Duke and Silverbridge were there to bid her farewell. She smiled and was as gracious as though everything had gone according to her heart’s delight. “Dear Duke, I am so obliged to you for your kindness,” she said, as she put up her cheek for him to kiss. Then she gave her hand to Silverbridge. “Of course you will come and see me in town.” And she smiled upon them all; — having courage enough to keep down all her sufferings.

“Come in here a moment, Silverbridge,” said the father as they returned into the house together. “How is it now between you and her?”

“How is it now between you and her?” That was the question which the Duke put to his son as soon as he had closed the door of the study. Lady Mabel had just been dismissed from the front door on her journey, and there could be no doubt as to the “her” intended. No such question would have been asked had not Silverbridge himself declared to his father his purpose of making Lady Mabel his wife. On that subject the Duke, without such authority, would not have interfered. But he had been consulted, had acceded, and had encouraged the idea by excessive liberality on his part. He had never dropped it out of his mind for a moment. But when he found that the girl was leaving his house without any explanation, then he became restless and inquisitive.

They say that perfect love casteth out fear. If it be so the love of children to their parents is seldom altogether perfect, — and perhaps had better not be quite perfect. With this young man it was not that he feared anything which his father could do to him, that he believed that in consequence of the declaration which he had to make his comforts and pleasures would be curtailed, or his independence diminished. He knew his father too well to dread such punishment. But he feared that he would make his father unhappy, and he was conscious that he had so often sinned in that way. He had stumbled so frequently! Though in action he would so often be thoughtless, — yet he understood perfectly the effect which had been produced on his father’s mind by his conduct. He had it at heart “to be good to the governor,” to gratify that most loving of all possible friends, who, as he knew well, was always thinking of his welfare. And yet he never had been “good to the governor”; — nor had Gerald; — and to all this was added his sister’s determined perversity. It was thus he feared his father.

He paused for a moment, while the Duke stood with his back to the fire looking at him. “I’m afraid that it is all over, sir,” he said.

“All over!”

“I am afraid so.”

“Why is it all over? Has she refused you?”

“Well, sir; — it isn’t quite that.” Then he paused again. It was so difficult to begin about Isabel Boncassen.

“I am sorry for that,” said the Duke, almost hesitating; “very sorry. You will understand, I hope, that I should make no inquiry in such a matter, unless I had felt myself warranted in doing so by what you had yourself told me in London.”

“I understand all that.”

“I have been very anxious about it, and have even gone so far as to make some preparations for what I had hoped would be your early marriage.”

“Preparations!” exclaimed Silverbridge, thinking of church bells, bride cake, and wedding presents.

“As to the property. I am so anxious that you should enjoy all the settled independence which can belong to an English gentleman. I never plough or sow. I know no more of sheep and bulls than of the extinct animals of earlier ages. I would not have it so with you. I would fain see you surrounded by those things which ought to interest a nobleman in this country. Why is it all over with Lady Mabel Grex?”

The young man looked imploringly at his father, as though earnestly begging that nothing more might be said about Mabel. “I had changed my mind before I found out that she was really in love with me!” He could not say that. He could not hint that he might still have Mabel if he would. The only thing for him was to tell everything about Isabel Boncassen. He felt that in doing this he must begin with himself. “I have rather changed my mind, sir,” he said, “since we were walking together in London that night.”

“Have you quarrelled with Lady Mabel?”

“Oh dear no. I am very fond of Mabel; — only not just like that.”

“Not just like what?”

“I had better tell the whole truth at once.”

“Certainly tell the truth, Silverbridge. I cannot say that you are bound in duty to tell the whole truth even to your father in such a matter.”

“But I mean to tell you everything. Mabel did not seem to care for me much — in London. And then I saw someone, — someone I liked better.” Then he stopped, but as the Duke did not ask any questions he plunged on. “It was Miss Boncassen.”

“Miss Boncassen!”

“Yes, sir,” said Silverbridge, with a little access of decision.

“The American young lady?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you know anything of her family?”

“I think I know all about her family. It is not much in the way of — family.”

“You have not spoken to her about it?”

“Yes, sir; — I have settled it all with her, on condition — “

“Settled it with her that she is to be your wife!”

“Yes, sir, — on condition that you will approve.”

“Did you go to her, Silverbridge, with such a stipulation as that?”

“It was not like that.”

“How was it then?”

“She stipulated. She will marry me if you will consent.”

“It was she then who thought of my wishes and my feeling; — not you?”

“I knew that I loved her. What is a man to do when he feels like that? Of course I meant to tell you.” The Duke was now looking very black. “I thought you liked her, sir.”

“Liked her! I did like her. I do like her. What has that to do with it? Do you think I like none but those with whom I should think it fitting to ally myself in marriage? Is there to be no duty in such matters, no restraint, no feeling of what is due to your own name, and to others who bear it? The lad out there who is sweeping the walks can marry the first girl that pleases his eye if she will take him. Perhaps his lot is the happier because he owns such liberty. Have you the same freedom?”

“I suppose I have, — by law.”

“Do you recognise no duty but what the laws impose upon you? Should you be disposed to eat and drink in bestial excess, because the laws would not hinder you? Should you lie and sleep all the day, the law would say nothing! Should you neglect every duty which your position imposes on you, the law could not interfere! To such a one as you the law can be no guide. You should so live as not to come near the law, — or to have the law to come near to you. From all evil against which the law bars you, you should be barred, at an infinite distance, by honour, by conscience, and nobility. Does the law require patriotism, philanthropy, self-abnegation, public service, purity of purpose, devotion to the needs of others who have been placed in the world below you? The law is a great thing, — because men are poor and weak, and bad. And it is great, because where it exists in its strength, no tyrant can be above it. But between you and me there should be no mention of law as the guide of conduct. Speak to me of honour, of duty, and of nobility; and tell me what they require of you.”

Silverbridge listened in silence and with something of true admiration in his heart. But he felt the strong necessity of declaring his own convictions on one special point here, at once, in this new crisis of the conversation. That accident in regard to the colour of the Dean’s lodge had stood in the way of his logical studies, — so that he was unable to put his argument into proper shape; but there belonged to him a certain natural astuteness which told him that he must put in his rejoinder at this particular point. “I think I am bound in honour and in duty to marry Miss Boncassen,” he said. “And, if I understand what you mean, by nobility just as much.”

“Because you have promised.”

“Not only for that. I have promised and therefore I am bound. She has — well, she has said that she loves me, and therefore of course I am bound. But it is not only that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I suppose a man ought to marry the woman he loves, — if he can get her.”

“No; no; not so; not always so. Do you think that love is a passion that cannot be withstood?”

“But here we are both of one mind, sir. When I saw how you seemed to take to
her — “

“Take to her! Can I not interest myself in human beings without wishing to make them flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone? What am I to think of you? It was but the other day that all that you are now telling me of Miss Boncassen, you were telling me of Lady Mabel Grex.” Here poor Silverbridge bit his lips and shook his head, and looked down upon the ground. This was the weak part of his case. He could not tell his father the whole story about Mabel, — that she had coyed his love, so that he had been justified in thinking himself free from any claim in that direction when he had encountered the infinitely sweeter charms of Isabel Boncassen. “You are weak as water,” said the unhappy father.

“I am not weak in this.”

“Did you not say exactly the same about Lady Mabel?”

There was a pause, so that he was driven to reply. “I found her as I thought indifferent, and then — I changed my mind.”

“Indifferent! What does she think about it now? Does she know of this? How does it stand between you two at the present moment?”

“She knows that I am engaged to — Miss Boncassen.”

“Does she approve of it?”

“Why should I ask her, sir? I have not asked her.”

“Then why did you tell her? She could not but have spoken her mind when you told her. There must have been much between you when this was talked of.”

The unfortunate young man was obliged to take some time before he could answer this appeal. He had to own that his father had some justice on his side, but at the same time he could reveal nothing of Mabel’s secret. “I told her because we were friends. I did not ask her approval; but she did disapprove. She thought that your son should not marry an American girl without family.”

“Of course she would feel that.”

“Now I have told you what she said, and I hope you will ask me no further questions about her. I cannot make Lady Mabel my wife; — though, for the matter of that, I ought not to presume that she would take me if I wished it. I had intended to ask you to-day to consent to my marriage with Miss Boncassen.”

“I cannot give you my consent.”

“Then I am very unhappy.”

“How can I believe as to your unhappiness when you would have said the same about Lady Mabel Grex a few weeks ago?”

“Nearly eight months,” said Silverbridge.

“What is the difference? It is not the time, but the disposition of the man! I cannot give you my consent. The young lady sees it in the right light, and that will make your escape easy.”

“I do not want to escape.”

“She has indicated the cause which will separate you.”