Part 41 (2/2)
”I knew him, but did not think he was behaving quite well. It is very hard sometimes to know what a man means. I was angry when I went to Was.h.i.+ngton. He has told me since that he loves me,--and has offered.”
”But you are engaged to marry the other man.”
”Nothing on earth shall make me marry Mr. Morton. Mamma did it, and mamma now has very nearly broken it off because she says he is very shabby about money. Indeed it is broken off. I had told him so even before Lord Rufford had proposed to me.”
”When did he propose and where?”
”At Rufford. We were staying there in November.”
”And you asked to come here that you might meet him?”
”Just so. Was that strange? Where could I be better pleased to meet him than in my own uncle's house?”
”Yes;--if you had told us all this before.”
”Perhaps I ought; but you are so severe, that I did not dare. Do not turn against me now. My uncle could not but like that his niece should marry Lord Rufford.”
”How can I turn against you if it is settled? Lord Rufford can do as he pleases. Has he told your father,--or your mother?”
”Mamma knows it.”
”But not from him?” asked the d.u.c.h.ess.
Arabella paused a moment but hardly a moment before she answered. It was hard upon her that she should have to make up her mind on matters of such importance with so little time for consideration. ”Yes,” she said; ”mamma knows it from him. Papa is so very indifferent about everything that Lord Rufford has not spoken to him.”
”If so, it will be best that the Duke should speak to him.”
There was another pause, but hardly long enough to attract notice.
”Perhaps so,” she said;--”but not quite yet. He is so peculiar, so touchy. The Duke is not quite like my father and he would think himself suspected.”
”I cannot imagine that if he is in earnest.”
”That is because you do not know him as I do. Only think where I should be if I were to lose him!”
”Lose him!”
”Oh, aunt, now that you know it I do hope that you will be my friend.
It would kill me if he were to throw me over.”
”But why should he throw you over if he proposed to you only last month?”
”He might do it if he thought that he were interfered with. Of course I should like my uncle to speak to him, but not quite immediately. If he were to say that he had changed his mind, what could I do, or what could my uncle do?”
”That would be very singular conduct.”
”Men are so different now, aunt. They give themselves so much more lat.i.tude. A man has only to say that he has changed his mind and nothing ever comes of it.”
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