"You don't go to races?" He shook his head. "I am glad of that," said Lady Cantrip. "Nothing is so bad as the turf. I fear Lord Silverbridge is devoting himself to the turf."
"I don't think it can be good for any man to have much to do with Major Tifto. I suppose Silverbridge knows what he's about."
Here was an opportunity which might have been used. It would have been so easy for her to glide from the imperfections of the brother to the perfections of the sister. But she could not bring herself to do it quite at once. She approached the matter however as nearly as she could without making her grand proposition. She shook her head sadly in reference to Silverbridge, and then spoke of the Duke. "His father is so anxious about him."
"I dare say."
"I don't know any man who is more painfully anxious about his children. He feels the responsibility so much since his wife's death. There is Lady Mary."
"She's all right, I should say."
"All right! oh yes. But when a girl is possessed of so many things,—rank, beauty, intelligence, large fortune,—"
"Will Lady Mary have much?"
"A large portion of her mother's money, I should say. When all these things are joined together, a father of course feels most anxious as to their disposal."
"I suppose she is clever."