The Duke’s Children · Chapter
Why Not Like Romeo if I Feel Like Romeo? explained
Lady Mabel Grex insists on meeting Frank Tregear alone, despite Miss Cassewary's objections.
What happens
Lady Mabel Grex insists on meeting Frank Tregear alone, despite Miss Cassewary's objections. They discuss Tregear's proposal to the Duke for Lady Mary's hand, their past romantic feelings, and the possibility of Mabel marrying Lord Silverbridge. The old Earl interrupts, and Mabel cleverly deflects his suspicion by revealing Tregear's intended marriage. Afterward, Mabel reflects on her love for Tregear and the difficulty of her future.
Themes in this chapter
Love vs. Duty
Mabel struggles between her love for Tregear and the practical necessity of marrying for financial security; Tregear pursues love despite the Duke's opposition.
Social Class and Aristocracy
Tregear's audacity in asking the Duke for his daughter's hand highlights class barriers; Mabel's poverty and need to marry well reflect aristocratic pressures.
Gender Roles and Women's Agency
Mabel asserts her agency by insisting on a private meeting and managing her father's suspicions, yet is constrained by her limited options as a woman.
Characters to notice
- Lady Mabel Grex
Insists on meeting Tregear alone; discusses his love for Lady Mary and her own feelings; reflects on her love for Tregear and her difficult future.
- Frank Tregear
Visits Mabel to discuss his proposal to the Duke for Lady Mary; admits his love for Mary but shows lingering tenderness for Mabel.
- Miss Cassewary
Objects to Mabel meeting Tregear alone, citing the Earl's disapproval, but is overruled.
- Lord Grex
Interrupts the conversation; is told by Mabel that Tregear is going to be married, which deflects his suspicion.
Key passages
“Why not like a Romeo, if I feel like a Romeo?”
Why shouldn't I act like a passionate lover if that's how I truly feel?
Tregear defends his intense love for Lady Mary to Mabel.
“I cannot afford to be in love till I am quite sure that the man is fit to be, and will be, my husband.”
I can't allow myself to fall in love until I'm certain the man is suitable and will marry me.
Mabel explains her pragmatic approach to love due to her financial situation.
“She had been false now;—so far false that she had told her friend that she had never been in love. But she was in love;—in love with him, Frank Tregear.”
She had lied to her friend by saying she had never been in love, but in truth she was deeply in love with Frank Tregear.
Narrator reveals Mabel's hidden feelings for Tregear.