He paused rather abruptly.
"Will you tell Mr. Herbert that you would approve of this undertaking?" he finished, and with a palpable effort.
Mary withdrew her eyes to fix them on Mr. Herbert.
"Surely," she said, "you do not require that assurance from me?"
She gave a little weak laugh, and clasped her hands tightly and unclasped them.
"I do not know what words to choose to convince you how utterly I am in the hands of my husband, nor how foolish I am in matters of business." She drew a deep breath, and added, with a blushing earnestness, "If circumstances permit my husband to make this attempt, my will is one with his in the design, which I consider holy as well as just——"
Mr. Herbert bowed, and the bright young beauty added with the gravity that was her manner—
"—but if my husband his design was not just, I fear I should still support him in it!"
Mr. Herbert could do nothing but bow to this outspoken statement; if the words were spontaneous or learnt, lesson fashion, from the Prince, was no matter to him. They set at rest the doubts some of the seven, particularly Lord Danby, had raised concerning her attitude.
He took his leave of the Princess, and she seemed like one amazed, as if she neither saw nor heard him. The Prince went with him into the antechamber, and the last look Herbert had of Mary was the sight of her standing quite still, with her face as pale as the little braid of pearls in her dark hair, and the fingers of her right hand pressed to the tinsel bows on her stiff bodice.