It may be well supposed that Lady Arabella was not well pleased to
learn that Frank and Mary had been again together; and, in the agony
of her spirit, she did say some ill-natured things before Augusta,
who had now returned from Courcy Castle, as to the gross impropriety
of Mary's conduct. But to Frank she said nothing.

Nor was there much said between Frank and Beatrice. If everything
could really be settled at the end of that fortnight which was to
witness the disclosure of the doctor's mystery, there would still
be time to arrange that Mary should be at the wedding. "It shall be
settled then," he said to himself; "and if it be settled, my mother
will hardly venture to exclude my affianced bride from the house."
It was now the beginning of August, and it wanted yet a month to the
Oriel wedding.

But though he said nothing to his mother or to Beatrice, he did say
much to his father. In the first place, he showed him Mary's letter.
"If your heart be not made of stone it will be softened by that," he
said. Mr Gresham's heart was not of stone, and he did acknowledge
that the letter was a very sweet letter. But we know how the drop of
water hollows stone. It was not by the violence of his appeal that
Frank succeeded in obtaining from his father a sort of half-consent
that he would no longer oppose the match; but by the assiduity with
which the appeal was repeated. Frank, as we have said, had more
stubbornness of will than his father; and so, before the fortnight
was over, the squire had been talked over, and promised to attend at
the doctor's bidding.

"I suppose you had better take the Hazlehurst farm," said he to his
son, with a sigh. "It joins the park and the home-fields, and I will
give you up them also. God knows, I don't care about farming any
more--or about anything else either."

"Don't say that, father."

"Well, well! But, Frank, where will you live? The old house is big
enough for us all. But how would Mary get on with your mother?"

At the end of his fortnight, true to his time, the doctor returned to
the village. He was a bad correspondent; and though he had written
some short notes to Mary, he had said no word to her about his
business. It was late in the evening when he got home, and it was
understood by Frank and the squire that they were to be with him on
the following morning. Not a word had been said to Lady Arabella on
the subject.

It was late in the evening when he got home, and Mary wait