Silverbridge declaring that he had everything that was
necessary, got up and helped himself to the cold mutton. Then
again there was silence, during which the Duke crunched his toast
and made an attempt at reading the newspaper. But, soon pushing
that aside, he again took up Mr Harnage's letter. Silverbridge
watched every motion of his father as he slowly made his way
through the slice of cold mutton. 'It seems that Gerald is to be
sent away altogether.'
'I fear so, sir.'
'He has profited by your example at Oxford. Did you persuade him
to come to these races?'
'I am afraid I did.'
'Though you knew the orders which had been given?'
'I thought it was meant that he should not be away the night.'
'He had asked permission to go to the Derby and had been
positively refused. Did you know this?'
Silverbridge sat for some moments considering. He could not at
first quite remember what he had known and what he had not known.
Perhaps he entertained some faint hope that the question would be
allowed to go unanswered. He saw, however, from his father's eye
that that was impossible.
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