"And that 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 all your friends—"
"I do not say what I mean. I could talk more freely to you than to any one 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 that word. "I think you are wrong there, Lord Silverbridge."
"I am sure I am right."