'What things?'

'My dear mother, sir, thought well of him.' The Duke uttered a
deep sigh, and turned round to the fire. 'I always told him 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-' 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 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 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. 'There must
be an end of this. I will speak to your sister. In the meantime,