oy, do not drive me to distraction! Give it up for four
years."

"Four years!"

"Yes; for four years. I ask it as a personal favour; as an obligation
to myself, in order that we may be saved from ruin; you, your mother,
and sisters, your family name, and the old house. I do not talk about
myself; but were such a marriage to take place, I should be driven to
despair."

Frank found it very hard to resist his father, who now had hold of
his hand and arm, and was thus half retaining him, and half embracing
him. "Frank, say that you will forget this for four years--say for
three years."

But Frank would not say so. To postpone his marriage for four years,
or for three, seemed to him to be tantamount to giving up Mary
altogether; and he would not acknowledge that any one had the right
to demand of him to do that.

"My word is pledged, sir," he said.

"Pledged! Pledged to whom?"

"To Miss Thorne."

"But I will see her, Frank;--and her uncle. She was always
reasonable. I am sure she will not wish to bring ruin on her old
friends at Greshamsbury."

"Her old friends at Greshamsbury have done but little lately to
deserve her consideration. She has been treated shamefully. I know
it has not been by you, sir; but I must say so. She has already been
treated shamefully; but I will not treat her falsely."

"Well, Frank, I can say no more to you. I have destroyed the estate
which should have been yours, and I have no right to expect you
should regard what I say."

Frank was greatly distressed. He had not any feeling of animosity
against his father with reference to the property, and would have
done anything to make the squire understand this, short of giving up
his engagement to Mary. His feeling rather was, that, as each had a
case against the other, they should cry quits; that he should forgive
his father for his bad management, on condition that he himself was
to be forgiven with regard to his determined marriage. Not that he
put it exactly in that shape, even to himself; but could he have
unravelled his own thoughts, he would have found that such was the
web on which they were based.

"Father, I do regard what you say; but you would not have me be
false. Had you doubled the property instead of lessening it, I could
not regard what you say any more."

"I should be able to speak in a very different tone; I feel that,
Frank."

"Do not feel it any more, sir; say what you wish, as you would have
said it under any ot