The Foundling Read Online Free PDF Page B

up suddenly, and said in some little agitation: "Yes—no! It had not been unknown to me. But the succession cannot be in danger, sir, while my cousin Gideon and, indeed, my Uncle Henry's five sons—"
    "Do not talk to me of your Uncle Henry's sons!" commanded Lord Lionel wrathfully. "If they are all to take after the eldest of them, who, I am hearing, is for ever in some disgraceful scrape, as I have very little doubt they will do, for what can one expect, if a man will marry a Methodist?—I can only say that I am astonished you should entertain the notion of seeing one of them here in your shoes for as much as a moment!"
    "But I should not see them in my shoes," pointed out the Duke reasonably. "And really, you know, sir, Mart's scrapes cannot be called disgraceful! And in any event I am sure that Gideon would fill my shoes far better than I could ever do. Surely—"
    "You may put that out of your head once and for all!" said Lord Lionel, in his sternest voice. "Understand me, Gilly, I have never thought to see my son in your place, and nothing could more distress me than the knowledge that it must come to that in the end! I venture to say that Gideon shares my sentiments to the full. I do not know what cause he can have given you to suppose—"
    "None! Oh, none!" Gilly said hurriedly. "I only meant—I only wished to say that it cannot be thought necessary for me to marry so soon!"
    "So soon?" repeated his uncle, raising his brows. "My dear boy, it has been an understood thing between myself and Ampleforth any time these five years! I make no doubt the young lady herself is fully aware of it, for her mother is a woman of great good sense, and will have made it her business to prepare the girl for the position she is destined to occupy."
    "You think that Harriet herself knows of it?" the Duke said, in a stunned voice.
    "Certainly. Why should she not?" replied his uncle. "If you have some romantic notion in your head, I advise you to rid yourself of it, boy. Romantic notions do very well in a trashy novel, and I daresay they may not come amiss amongst the lesser ranks of society, but they are not for persons of our order, and that you may depend upon. Yes, yes, you think me very unfeeling, I daresay, but you may believe me when I tell you that I have seen more unhappiness arising out of a so-called love-match than from any other cause in this world. I dare swear you, at twenty-four and with your head full of nonsense, have not half as much idea of what will suit you as I have. But don't imagine, Gilly, that I would tie you up to someone for whom you feel the least degree of dislike! You cannot have failed to notice that your aunt and I have taken every opportunity of inviting the Ampleforths to Sale. I have encouraged you to visit them, and you have not been backward in accepting invitations to Ampleforth. I have made it my business to observe you narrowly, and I own that I shall be surprised to learn that you are wholly indifferent to Lady Harriet."
    The Duke grasped the back of a chair. He looked even paler than was natural in him, and acutely unhappy. "No, indeed! I have the greatest regard—She has always been most amiable—But marriage—!"
    "Come, Gilly!" said Lord Lionel, a little impatiently, "you do not mean to tell me that you had never considered the question! You knew very well that the matter was arranged!"
    "Yes," the Duke said, in a hollow tone. "Yes, I did know. Only I hoped—I thought—"
    "Well, and what did you think and hope?"
    "I don't know," said the Duke helplessly. "Only that perhaps something would occur—or some other man offer—or—or that it might not be quite yet!"
    His uncle looked shrewdly at him. "Have you a tendre for some other female, Gilly?" he asked.
    The Duke shook his head.
    "Well, I thought you had not, for you have never been in the petticoat-line, but you need not scruple to tell me so if I have been mistaken." He waited, but the Duke only shook his head again. "Then what is