You may see his letters. It is all
about her. No one worshiped mamma as he did.'
Gradually the whole story was told. These two young persons
considered themselves to be engaged, but had agreed that their
engagement should not be made known to the Duke till something had
occurred, or some time had arrived, as to which Mr Tregear was to
be the judge. In Mrs Finn's opinion nothing could be more unwise,
and she made to induce the girl to confess everything to her
father at once. But in all her arguments she was opposed by the
girl's reference to her mother. 'Mamma knew it.' And it did
certainly seem to Mrs Finn as though the mother had assented to
this imprudent concealment. When she endeavoured, in her own mind,
to make excuse for her friend, she felt almost sure that the
Duchess, with all her courage, had been afraid to propose to her
husband that their daughter should marry a commoner without an
income. But in thinking all that, there could be now nothing
gained. What ought she to do--at once? The girl, in telling her,
had exacted no promise of secrecy, nor would she have given any
such promise; but yet she did not like the idea of telling the
tale behind the girl's back.
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