love which had
brought him to such a pass. That he should have been so insulted,
and be unable to reply! That he should have given up so much to the
request of a girl, and then have had his motives so misunderstood!
That he should have made so gross a mistake as this visit of his to
the archdeacon's! He bit the top of his whip, till he penetrated the
horn of which it was made: he struck the poor animal in his anger, and
then was doubly angry with himself at his futile passion. He had been
so completely checkmated, so palpably overcome! and what was he to do?
He could not continue his action after pledging himself to abandon it;
nor was there any revenge in that;--it was the very step to which his
enemy had endeavoured to goad him!

He threw the reins to the servant who came to take his horse, and
rushed upstairs into his drawing-room, where his sister Mary was
sitting.

"If there be a devil," said he, "a real devil here on earth, it is
Dr Grantly." He vouchsafed her no further intelligence, but again
seizing his hat, he rushed out, and took his departure for London
without another word to anyone.

Chapter XIII

THE WARDEN'S DECISION

The meeting between Eleanor and her father was not so stormy as that
described in the last chapter, but it was hardly more successful. On
her return from Bold's house she found her father in a strange state.
He was not sorrowful and silent as he had been on that memorable
day when his son-in-law lectured him as to all that he owed to his
order; nor was he in his usual quiet mood. When Eleanor reached the
hospital, he was walking to and fro upon the lawn, and she soon saw
that he was much excited.

"I am going to London, my dear," he said as soon as he saw her.

"London, papa!"

"Yes, my dear, to London; I will have this matter settled some way;
there are some things, Eleanor, which I cannot bear."

"Oh, papa, what is it?" said she, leading him by the arm into the
house. "I had such good news for you, and now you make me fear I am
too late." And then, before he could let her know what had caused
this sudden resolve, or could point to the fatal paper which lay on
the table, she told him that the lawsuit was over, that Bold had
commissioned her to assure her father in his name that it would be
abandoned,--that there was no further cause for misery, that the whole
matter might be looked on as though it had never been discussed. She
did not tell him with what dete