“Pah! it makes one sick!” said Cyril, rising hastily, and walking up and down the room. “But what can we do, Ernestine? We can’t interfere to prevent a marriage which the girl’s own parents have arranged.”
“I thought you might be able to think of something.”
“Nothing would be any good, except to provide a more eligible suitor, and where is he to be found? You could hardly wish me to make definite proposals on Usk’s behalf when he has no eyes for any one but Félicia?”
“No, certainly not. Besides, Ludwig would not think him at all eligible. I only wish he might. It is wonderful how Helene has taken to him. She seems to open out like a flower in the sunshine. Adelheid was quite delighted at first, but to-day she asked me to arrange that they should not meet much. She is afraid that Ludwig might think they were falling in love.”
“Really these complications seem hopeless. I suppose Usk will see before long that Félicia is simply fooling him, but I don’t in the least think he will turn to Helene for consolation. He will be very hard hit.”
“And the woman who treats him in this way will marry Michael!”
“Well, if she jilts Usk for him, we must infer that she loves Michael,” said Cyril drily.
“Loves his crown, perhaps. But that is uncharitable. Still, what hope can there be of her exercising a good influence over him? Oh, Cyril, isn’t it terrible to see everything going wrong around one, and not to be able to put it right?”
“I thought you believed that, after all, things were better managed than you could arrange them yourself?”
“I know. I am wrong to be so faithless. But one cannot see how all this is to end.”