think of anything to say, Enderby proceeded:--

"It is a dreadful thing for a brother to have to speak to a sister as I
now speak to you; but it is your own doing. Mr Hope must have justice,
and you have no one to blame but yourself that justice must be done at
your expense. I give you fair notice that I shall discharge my duty
fully, in the painful circumstances in which you have contrived to place
all your family."

"Do what you will, Philip. My first duty is to take care of the health
of my parent and my children; and if, by the same means, Deerbrook is
provided with a medical man worthy of its confidence, all Deerbrook will
thank me."

"Ignorant and stupid as Deerbrook is about many things, Priscilla, it is
not so wicked as to thank any one for waging a cowardly war against the
good, for disparaging the able and accomplished, and fabricating and
circulating injurious stories against people too magnanimous for the
slanderer to understand."

"I do not know what you mean, Philip."

"I mean that you have done all this towards the Hopes. You do not know
that he and his wife are not happy. You know that Hope is an able and
most humane man in his profession, and that he does not steal dead
bodies. You know the falsehood of the whole set of vulgar stories that
you have put into circulation against him. You know, also, that my
mother has entire confidence in him, and that it will go near to break
her heart to have him dismissed for any one else. This is the meaning
of what I say. As for what I mean to do--it is this. I shall speak to
Mr Walcot at once, before his intention to settle here is known."

"You are too late, my dear sir. Every one in Deerbrook knows it as well
as if Dr Levitt was to give notice of it from the pulpit to-day."

"So much the worse for you, Priscilla. I shall explain the whole of
Hope's case to Mr Walcot, avoiding, if possible, all exposure of
you--."

"Oh, pray do not disturb yourself about that. Mr Walcot knows me very
well. I am not afraid."

"Avoiding, if possible, all exposure of you," resumed Enderby, "but not
shrinking from the full statement of the facts, if that should prove
necessary to Hope's justification. If this gentleman be honourable, he
will decline attending my mother, and go away more willingly than he
came. I shall bear testimony to my friend with equal freedom everywhere
else; and I will never rest till the wrongs you have done him are
repaired--as far as