You, of course, will hold no further intercourse with her." He paused as though for a promise, but Tregear did not feel himself called upon to say a word in one direction or in the other.

"It will be my care that you shall not do so.
Good-morning, sir." Tregear, who during the interview had been standing, then bowed, turned upon his heel, and left the room.
The Duke seated himself, and, crossing his arms upon his chest, sat for an hour looking up at the ceiling.

Why was it that, for him, such a world of misery had been prepared?
What wrong had he done, of what imprudence had he been guilty, that, at every turn of life, something should occur so grievous as to make him think himself the most wretched of men?
No man had ever loved his wife more dearly than he had done; and yet now, in that very excess of tenderness which her death had occasioned, he was driven to accuse her of a great sin against himself, in that she had kept from him her knowledge of this affair;--for, when he came to turn the matter over in his mind, he did believe Tregear's statement as to her encouragement.

Then, too, he had been proud of his daughter.

He was a man so reticent and undemonstrative in his manner that he had never known how to make confidential friends of his children.