was not excited, gave him an appearance of age. All that was
common to him; but now it was so much exaggerated that he who was
not yet fifty might have been taken for over sixty.

He put out his hand to greet her as she came up to him.
'Silverbridge,' he said, 'tells me that you go back to London
tomorrow.'

'I thought it would be best, Duke. My presence here can be of no
comfort to you.'

'I will not say anything can be of comfort. But of course it is
right that you should go. I can have no excuse for asking you to
remain. While there was yet a hope for her--' Then he stopped,
unable to say a word further in that direction, and yet there was
no sign of a tear and no sound of a sob.

'Of course I would stay, Duke, if I could be of any service.'

'Mr Finn will expect you to return to him.'

'Perhaps it would be better that I should say that I would stay
were it not that I know that I can be of no real service.'

'What do you mean by that, Mrs Finn?'

'Lady Mary should have with her at such a time some other friend.'

'There was none other whom her mother loved as she loved you--none,
none.' This he said almost with energy.