CHAPTER 1

When The Duchess Was Dead



No one, probably, ever felt himself to be more alone in the world
than our old friend the Duke of Omnium, when the Duchess died.
When this sad event happened he had ceased to be Prime Minister.
During the first nine months after he had left office he and the
Duchess remained in England. Then they had gone abroad, taking
with them their three children. The eldest, Lord Silverbridge, had
been at Oxford, but had his career there cut short by some more
than ordinary youthful folly, which had induced his father to
agree with the college authorities that his name had better be
taken off the college books,--all which had been cause of very
great sorrow to the Duke. The other boy was to go to Cambridge,
but his father had thought it well to give him a twelve-month's
run on the Continent, under his own inspection. Lady Mary, the
only daughter, was the youngest of the family, and she also had
been with them on the Continent. They remained the full year
abroad, travelling with a large accompaniment of tutors, lady's-
maids, couriers, and sometimes friends. I do not know that the
Duchess or the Duke had enjoyed it much; but the young people had
seen something of foreign courts and much of foreign scenery, and
had perhaps perfected their French. The Duke had gone to work at
his travels with a full determination to create for himself an
occupation out of a new kind of life. He had studied Dante, and