Everybody present there knew as well as does the reader, what was the connection between Tregear and Lady Mary Palliser. And each knew that the other knew it. It was therefore impossible for them not to feel themselves guilty among themselves. The two lovers had not seen each other since they had been together in Italy. Now they were brought face to face in this unexpected manner! And nobody except Tregear was at first quite sure whether somebody had done something to arrange the meeting. Mary might naturally suspect that Lady Mabel had done this in the interest of her friend Tregear, and Silverbridge could not but suspect that it was so. Lady Mabel, who had never before met the other girl, could hardly refrain from thinking that there had been some underhand communication,--and Miss Cassewary was clearly of the opinion that there had been some understanding.
Silverbridge was the first to speak. 'Halloo, Tregear, I didn't know that we were to see you.'
'Nor I, that I should see you,' said he. Then of course there was a shaking of hands all round, in the course of which ceremony he came to Mary the last. She gave him her hand, but had not a word to say to him. 'If I had known that you were here,' he said, 'I should not have come; but I need hardly say how glad I am to see you,--even in this way.' Then the two girls were convinced that the meeting was accidental; but Miss Cass still had her doubts.
Conversation became at once very difficult. Tregear seated himself near, but not very near, to Lady Mary, and made some attempt to talk to both the girls at once. Lady Mabel plainly showed that she was not at her ease;--whereas Mary seemed to be stricken dumb by the presence of her lover. Silverbridge was so much annoyed by a feeling that this interview was a treason to his father, that he sat cudgelling his brain to think how he should bring it to an end. Miss Cassewary was dumb-founded by the occasion. She was the one elder in the company who ought to see that no wrong was committed. She was not directly responsible to the Duke of Omnium, but she was thoroughly permeated by a feeling that it was her duty to take care that there should be no clandestine love meetings in Lord Grex's house. At last Silverbridge jumped up from his chair.
'Upon my word, Tregear, I think you had better go,' said he.
'So do I,' said Miss Cassewary. 'If it is an accident--'
'Of course it is an accident,' said Tregear angrily,--looking round at Mary, who blushed up to her eyes.
'I did not mean to doubt it,' said the old lady. 'But as it has occurred, Mabel, don't you think that he had better go?'
'He won't bite anybody, Miss Cass.'
'Certainly not,' said Mary, speaking for the first time. 'But now he is here--' Then she stopped herself, rose from the sofa, sat down, and then rising again, stepped up to her lover,--who rose at the same moment,--and threw herself into his arms and put up her lips to be kissed.
'This won't do at all,' said Silverbridge. Miss Cassewary clasped her hands together and looked up to heaven. She probably had never seen such a thing done before. Lady Mabel's eyes were filled with tears, and though in all this there was much to cause her anguish, still in her heart of hearts, she admired the brave girl who could thus show her truth to her lover.
'Now go,' said Mary, through her sobs.
'Now own one,' ejaculated Tregear.
'Yes, yes, yes; always your own. Go,--go, go.' She was weeping and sobbing as she said this, and hiding her face with her handkerchief. He stood for a moment irresolute, and then left the room without a word of adieu to anyone.
'You have behaved very badly,' said the brother.
'She has behaved like an angel,' said Mabel, throwing her arms round Mary, as she spoke, 'like an angel. If there had been a girl whom you loved and who loved you, would you have not wished it?
Would you not have worshipped her for showing that she was not ashamed of her love?'
'I am not a bit ashamed,' said Mary.
'And I say you have no cause. No one knows him like I do. How good he is, and how worthy!' Immediately after that Silverbridge took his sister away, and Lady Mabel, escaping from Miss Cass was alone. 'She loves him almost as I have loved him,' she said to herself. 'I wonder whether he can love her as he did me?'