they were wanting in Dr
Fillgrave. When he had completed his examinations and questions,
and she had completed her little details and made her answer, she
certainly was more at ease than she had been since the doctor had
last left her.

"Don't go yet for a moment," she said. "I have one word to say to
you."

He declared that he was not the least in a hurry. He desired nothing
better, he said, than to sit there and talk to her. "And I owe you a
most sincere apology, Lady Arabella."

"A sincere apology!" said she, becoming a little red. Was he going to
say anything about Mary? Was he going to own that he, and Mary, and
Frank had all been wrong?

"Yes, indeed. I ought not to have brought Sir Louis Scatcherd here: I
ought to have known that he would have disgraced himself."

"Oh! it does not signify," said her ladyship in a tone almost of
disappointment. "I had forgotten it. Mr Gresham and you had more
inconvenience than we had."

"He is an unfortunate, wretched man--most unfortunate; with an
immense fortune which he can never live to possess."

"And who will the money go to, doctor?"

This was a question for which Dr Thorne was hardly prepared. "Go to?"
he repeated. "Oh, some member of the family, I believe. There are
plenty of nephews and nieces."

"Yes; but will it be divided, or all go to one?"

"Probably to one, I think. Sir Roger had a strong idea of leaving
it all in one hand." If it should happen to be a girl, thought Lady
Arabella, what an excellent opportunity would that be for Frank to
marry money!

"And now, doctor, I want to say one word to you; considering the very
long time that we have known each other, it is better that I should
be open with you. This estrangement between us and dear Mary has
given us all so much pain. Cannot we do anything to put an end to
it?"

"Well, what can I say, Lady Arabella? That depends so wholly on
yourself."

"If it depends on me, it shall be done at once."

The doctor bowed. And though he could hardly be said to do so
stiffly, he did it coldly. His bow seemed to say, "Certainly; if you
choose to make a proper _amende_ it can be done. But I think it is
very unlikely that you will do so."

"Beatrice is just going to be married, you know that, doctor." The
doctor said that he did know it. "And it will be so pleasant that
Mary should make one of us. Poor Beatrice; you don't know what she
has suffered."

"Yes," said the doctor, "there has been suffering, I a