At last Mr. Dacre
remembered an appointment with his bailiff, and proposed to the Duke to
join him, who acceded.
'And I to be left alone this morning, then!' said Miss Dacre. 'I am
sure, as they say of children, I can set to nothing.'
'Come and ride with us, then!'
'An excellent idea! Let us canter over to Hauteville! I am just in the
humour for a gallop up the avenue, and feel half emancipated already
with a Dacre in the House! Oh! to-morrow, how nervous I shall be!'
'I will despatch Barrington, then,' said Mr. Dacre, 'and join you in ten
minutes.'
'How good you are!' said Miss Dacre to the Duke. 'How can we thank you
enough? What can we do for you?'
'You have thanked me enough. What have I done after all? My opportunity
to serve my friends is brief. Is it wonderful that I seize the
opportunity?'
'Brief! brief! Why do you always say so? Why do you talk so of leaving
us?'
'My visit to you has been already too long. It must soon end, and I
remain not in England when it ceases.'
'Come and live at Hauteville, and be near us?'
He faintly smiled as he said, 'No, no; my doom is fixed.
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