"I always told him that you would never consent." "I should think not." "It has come so suddenly.

I should have spoken to you about it as soon as--as soon as--" He had meant to say as soon as the husband's grief for the loss of his wife had been in some degree appeased, but he could not speak the words.

The Duke, however, perfectly understood him.

"In the meantime, they were not seeing each other." "Nor writing ?" "I think not." "Mrs.Finn has known it all." "Mrs.Finn!" "Certainly.

She has known it all through." "I do not see how it can have been so." "He told me so himself," said the Duke, unwittingly putting words into Tregear's mouth which Tregear had never uttered.