Stephen bowed gravely. He was surprised. It had not struck him that Anne had not told her mother. A brand-new idea occurred to him, namely that Anne and her mother were not in each other's confidence. H'm! That luminous idea required further thought.
"And now," said Anne, "having got out of you all I want, I will immediately desert you for my other neighbour." And she spoke no more to Stephen that night.
"My dear," said the Duke of Quorn to Anne as they drove home, "it appeared to me that you and Vanbrunt were on uncommonly good terms to-night. Is there any understanding between you?"
"I think he is beginning to have a kind of glimmering of one."
"Really! Understandings don't as a rule lead to marriage. Misunderstandings generally bring about those painful dislocations of life. But the idea struck me this evening—I hope needlessly—that I might after all have to take that richly gilt personage to my bosom as my son-in-law."
"Mr Vanbrunt asked me to marry him yesterday, and I refused him."
The Duke experienced a slight shock, tinged with relief.
"Does your mother know?" he said at last in an awed voice.
"Need you ask?"