gh," said Mr Gresham.

"Threaten to cut him off with a shilling," said her ladyship, with
spirit. "I haven't a shilling to cut him off with," answered the
squire, bitterly.

But Lady Arabella herself soon perceived, that this line would not
do. As Mr Gresham himself confessed, his own sins against his son had
been too great to allow of his taking a high hand with him. Besides,
Mr Gresham was not a man who could ever be severe with a son whose
individual conduct had been so good as Frank's. This marriage was, in
his view, a misfortune to be averted if possible,--to be averted by
any possible means; but, as far as Frank was concerned, it was to be
regarded rather as a monomania than a crime.

"I did feel so certain that he would have succeeded with Miss
Dunstable," said the mother, almost crying.

"I thought it impossible but that at his age a twelvemonth's knocking
about the world would cure him," said the father.

"I never heard of a boy being so obstinate about a girl," said the
mother. "I'm sure he didn't get it from the de Courcys:" and then,
again, they talked it over in all its bearings.

"But what are they to live upon?" said Lady Arabella, appealing, as
it were, to some impersonation of reason. "That's what I want him to
tell me. What are they to live upon?"

"I wonder whether de Courcy could get him into some embassy?" said
the father. "He does talk of a profession."

"What! with the girl and all?" asked Lady Arabella with horror,
alarmed at the idea of such an appeal being made to her noble
brother.

"No; but before he marries. He might be broken of it that way."

"Nothing will break him," said the wretched mother;
"nothing--nothing. For my part, I think that he is possessed. Why was
she brought here? Oh, dear! oh, dear! Why was she ever brought into
this house?"

This last question Mr Gresham did not think it necessary to answer.
That evil had been done, and it would be useless to dispute it. "I'll
tell you what I'll do," said he. "I'll speak to the doctor himself."

"It's not the slightest use," said Lady Arabella. "He will not assist
us. Indeed, I firmly believe it's all his own doing."

"Oh, nonsense! that really is nonsense, my love."

"Very well, Mr Gresham. What I say is always nonsense, I know; you
have always told me so. But yet, see how things have turned out. I
knew how it would be when she was first brought into the house." This
assertion was rather a stretch on the part of Lady Ar