"My lord would not approve of it."
"If you know what my lord approves of and what he disapproves you understand him a great deal better than I do. And if you mind what he approves or disapproves, you care for his opinion a great deal more than I do. My cousin is here now to talk to me,—about his own affairs, and I mean to see him,—alone." Then she left the little room, and went down to that in which Frank was waiting for her, without the company of Miss Cassewary.
"Do you really mean," she said after they had been together for some minutes, "that you had the courage to ask the Duke for his daughter's hand?"
"Why not?"
"I believe you would dare do anything."
"I couldn't very well take it without asking him."
"As I am not acquainted with the young lady I don't know how that might be."
"And if I took her so, I should have to take her empty-handed."
"Which wouldn't suit;—would it?"
"It wouldn't suit for her,—whose comforts and happiness are much more to me than my own."