第69章

Lady Mary Palliser down at the Horns had as much liberty allowed to as is usually given to young ladies in these very free days.

There was indeed no restriction placed upon her at all. Had Tregear gone down to Richmond and asked for the young lady, and had Lady Cantrip at the time been out and the young lady at home, it would have depended altogether upon the young lady whether she would have seen her lover or not. Nevertheless Lady Cantrip kept her eyes open, and when the letter came from Tregear she was aware that the letter had come. But the letter found its way into Lady Mary's hands and was read in the seclusion of her own bedroom. 'I wonder whether you would mind reading that,' she said very shortly afterwards to Lady Cantrip. 'What answer ought I to make?'

'Do you think any answer ought to be made, my dear?'

'Oh yes; I must answer him.'

'Would your papa wish it?'

'I told papa that I would not promise not to write to him. I think I told him that he should see any letters that there were. But if I show them to you, I suppose that will do as well.'

'You had better keep your word to him absolutely.'

'I am not afraid of doing so, if you mean that. I cannot bear to give him pain, but this is a matter in which I mean to have my own way.'

'Mean to have your own way!' said Lady Cantrip, much surprised by the determined tone of the young lady.

'Certainly I do. I want you to understand so much! I suppose papa can keep us from marrying for ever and ever if he pleases, but he never will make me say that I will give up Mr Tregear. And if he does not yield I shall think him cruel. Why should he wish to make me unhappy all my life?'

'He certainly does not wish that, my dear.'

'But he will do it.'

'I cannot go against your father, Mary.'

'No, I suppose not. I shall write to Mr Tregear, and then I will show you what I have written. Papa shall see it to if he pleases.

I will do nothing secret, but I will never give up Mr Tregear.'

Lord Cantrip came down to Richmond that evening, and his wife told him that in her opinion it would be best that the Duke should allow the young people to marry, and should give them money enough to live upon. 'Is not that a strong order?' asked the Earl. The Countess acknowledged that it was a 'strong order', but suggested that for the happiness of them all it might as well be done at first as last.

The next morning Lady Mary showed her a copy of the reply which she had already sent to her lover.

'DEAR FRANK, 'You may be quite sure that I shall never give you up. I will not write more at present because papa does not wish me to do so.

I shall show papa your letter and my answer.

'Your own most affectionate MARY.'

'Has it gone?' asked the Countess.

'I put it myself into the pillar letter-box.' Then Lady Cantrip felt that she had to deal with a very self-willed young lady indeed.

That afternoon Lady Cantrip asked Lady Mary whether she might be allowed to take the two letters up to town with the express purpose of showing them to the Duke. 'Oh yes,' said Mary. 'I think it would be so much the best. Give papa my kindest love, and tell him from me that if he wants to make his poor little girl happy he will forgive her and be kind to her in all this.' Then the Countess made some attempts to argue the matter. There were proprieties! High rank might be a blessing or might be the reverse--as people thought of it;--but all men acknowledged that much was due to it. 'Noblesse oblige.' It was often the case in life that women were called upon by circumstances to sacrifice their inclinations! What right had a gentleman to talk of marriage who had no means? These things she said and very many more, but it was to no purpose. The young lady asserted that as the gentleman was a gentleman there need be no question as to rank, and that in regard to money there need be no difficulty if one of them had sufficient. 'But you have none but what your father gives you,' said Lady Cantrip. 'Papa can give it us without any trouble,' said Lady Mary. This child had a clear idea of what she thought to be her own rights. Being the child of rich parents she had the right to money. Being a woman she had a right to a husband. Having been born free she had a right to choose one for herself. Having had a man's love given to her she had a right to keep it. 'One doesn't know which she is most like, her father or her mother,' Lady Cantrip said afterwards to her husband. 'She has his cool determination, and her hot-headed obstinacy.'

She did show the letters to the Duke, and in answer to a word or two from him explained that she could not take upon herself to debar her guest from the use of the post. 'But she will write nothing without letting you know it.'

'She ought to write nothing at all.'

'What she feels is much worse than what she writes.'

'If there were no intercourse she would forget him.'

'Ah; I don't know,' said the Countess sorrowfully, 'I thought so once.'

'All children are determined as long as they are allowed to have their own way.'

'I mean to say that it is the nature of her character to be obstinate. Most girls are prone to yield. They have not character enough to stand against opposition. I am not speaking now only of affairs like this. It would be the same with her in any thing.

Have you not always found it so?'

Then he had to acknowledge to himself that he had never found out anything in reference to his daughter's character. She had been properly sweet, affectionate, always obedient to him;--the most charming plaything in the world on the few occasions in which he had allowed himself to play. But as to her actual disposition, he had never taken any trouble to inform himself. She had been left to her mother,--as other girls are left. And his sons had been left to their tutors. And now he had no control over any of them. 'She must be made to obey like others,' he said at last, speaking through his teeth.

There was something in this which almost frightened Lady Cantrip.