Silverbridge had now been in town three or four weeks, and Lady Mabel Grex had also been in London all that time, and yet he had not seen her. She had told him that she loved him and had asked him plainly to make her his wife. He had told her he could not do so,--that he was altogether resolved to make another woman his wife. Then she had rebuked him, and had demanded from him how he had dared to treat her as he had done. His conscience was clear.
He had his own code or morals as to such matters; and had, as he regarded it, kept within the law. But she thought that she was badly treated, and had declared that she was now left out in the cold for ever through his treachery. Then her last word had been almost the worst of all, 'Who can tell what may come to pass?'--showing too plainly that she would not even now give up her hope.
Before the month was up she wrote to him as follows:
'DEAR LORD SILVERBRIDGE, 'Why do you not come and see me? Are friends so plentiful with you that one so staunch as I may be thrown over? But of course I know why you do not come. Put all that aside,--and come. I cannot hurt you. I have learned to feel that certain things which the world regards as too awful to be talked of,--except in the way of scandal, may be discussed and then laid aside just like other subjects. What though I wear a wig or a wooden leg, I may still be fairly comfortable among my companions unless I crucify myself by trying to hide my misfortune. It is not the presence of the skeleton that crushes us. Not even that will hurt us much if we let him go about the house as he lists. It is the everlasting effort which the horror makes to peep out of his cupboard that robs us of our ease. At any rate come and see me.
'Of course I know that you are to be married to Miss Boncassen.
Who does not know it? The trumpeters have been at work for the last week.
'Your very sincere Friend, 'MABEL.'
He wished that she had not written. Of course he must go to her.
And though there was a word or two in her letter which angered him, his feelings towards her were kindly. Had not that American angel flown across the Atlantic to his arms he could have been well content to make her his wife. But the interview at the present moment could hardly be other than painful. She could, she said, talk of her own misfortunes, but the subject would be very painful to him. It was not to him a skeleton, to be locked out of sight, but it had been a misfortune, and the sooner that such misfortune could be forgotten the better.
He knew what she meant about trumpeters. She had intended to signify that Isabel in her pride had boasted of her matrimonial prospects. Of course there had been trumpets. Are there not always trumpets when a marriage is contemplated, magnificent enough to be called an alliance? As for that he himself had blown the trumpets. He had told everybody that he was going to be married to Miss Boncassen. Isabel had blown no trumpets. In her own straightforward way she had told the truth to whom it concerned.
Of course he would go and see Lady Mabel, but he trusted that for her own sake nothing would be said about trumpets.
'So you have come at last,' Mabel said when he entered the room.
'No;--Miss Cassewary is not here. As I wanted to see you alone I got her to go out this morning. Why did you not come before?'
'You said in your letter you knew why.'
'But in saying so I was accusing you of cowardice;--was I not?'
'It was not cowardice.'
'Why then did you not come?'
'I thought you would hardly wish to see me so soon,--after what passed.'
'That is honest at any rate. You felt that I must be too much ashamed of what I said to be able to look you in the face.'
'Not that exactly.'
'Any other man would have felt the same, but no other man would be honest enough to tell me so. I do not think that ever in your life you have constrained yourself to the civility of a lie.'
'I hope not.'
'To be civil and false is often better than to be harsh and true.
I may be soothed by the courtesy and yet not deceived by the lie.
But what I told you in my letter,--which I hope you have destroyed--'
'I will destroy it.'
'Do. It was not intended for the partner of your future joys. As I told you then I can talk freely. Why not? We know it,--both of us.
How your conscience may be I cannot tell; but mine is clear from that soil with which you think it should be smirched.'
'I think nothing of the sort.'
'Yes, Silverbridge, you do. You have said to yourself this;--That girl has determined to get me, and she has not stopped as to how she would do it.'
'No such idea ever crossed my mind.'
'But you have never told yourself of the engagement which you gave me. Such condemnation as I have spoken of would have been just if my efforts had been sanctioned by no words, no looks, no deeds from you. Did you give me warrant for thinking that you were my lover?'
That theory by which he had justified himself to himself seemed to fall away from him under her questioning. He could not now remember his words to her in those old days before Miss Boncassen had crossed his path; but he did know that he had once intended to make her understand that he loved her. She had not understood him;--or understanding, had not accepted his words; and therefore he had thought himself free. But it now seemed that he had not been entitled so to regard himself. There she sat, looking at him, waiting for his answer; and he who had been so sure that he had committed no sin against her, had not a word to say to her.
'I want you to answer that, Lord Silverbridge. I have told you that I would have no skeleton in the cupboard. Down at Matching, and before that at Killancodlem, I appealed to you, asking you to take me as your wife.'
'Hardly that.'
'Altogether that! I will have nothing denied what I have done,--nor will I be ashamed of anything. I did do so,--even after this infatuation. I thought then that one so volatile might perhaps fly back again.'
'I shall not do that,' said he, frowning at her.'