"Yes, though he has the reputation of great fickleness. The Duke would probably make a better husband," I said.
I felt I owed it to Lady Tilchester to do something towards advancing the cause.
"Oh, as for that, a man always makes a good enough husband if you have the control of the dollars, and poppa would see to that," said Miss Trumpet.
This seemed so true I had nothing to say.
"Now, I will tell you," she continued, examining her nails, which shone as bright as glass. "I have got a kind of soft feeling for that Baron, but I would like to be an English duchess. Now, which would you take, if you were me?"
"Oh, I could not possibly advise you," I said. "You must weigh the advantages, and your level head will be sure to choose for the best."
"The position of an English duchess is splendid, though, isn't it? An Italian duke came over last fall, and poppa thought of him for about a day. But there is the bother of a foreign language, and all their silly ways to learn, so I told poppa I would have an English one or marry an American. It does seem a pity I can't have both the Baron and the Duke!" and she laughed with girlish mirth.
I thought of my conversation the night before, and wondered.
* * * * *
That evening the Duke, also, made me confidences.