he will marry them all."

Could it be possible, that in speaking of a pure feminine heart, and
youth and beauty, and such like gewgaws, the doctor was thinking of
his niece? Could it be that he had absolutely made up his mind to
foster and encourage this odious match?

The bare idea made Lady Arabella wrathful, and her wrath gave her
courage. "He must marry money, or he will be a ruined man. Now,
doctor, I am informed that things--words that is--have passed between
him and Mary which never ought to have been allowed."

And now also the doctor was wrathful. "What things? what words?" said
he, appearing to Lady Arabella as though he rose in his anger nearly
a foot in altitude before her eyes. "What has passed between them?
and who says so?"

"Doctor, there have been love-makings, you may take my word for it;
love-makings of a very, very, very advanced description."

This, the doctor could not stand. No, not for Greshamsbury and its
heir; not for the squire and all his misfortunes; not for Lady
Arabella and the blood of all the de Courcys could he stand quiet
and hear Mary thus accused. He sprang up another foot in height, and
expanded equally in width as he flung back the insinuation.

"Who says so? Whoever says so, whoever speaks of Miss Thorne in such
language, says what is not true. I will pledge my word--"

"My dear doctor, my dear doctor, what took place was quite clearly
heard; there was no mistake about it, indeed."

"What took place? What was heard?"

"Well, then, I don't want, you know, to make more of it than can be
helped. The thing must be stopped, that is all."

"What thing? Speak out, Lady Arabella. I will not have Mary's conduct
impugned by innuendoes. What is it that eavesdroppers have heard?"

"Dr Thorne, there have been no eavesdroppers."

"And no talebearers either? Will you ladyship oblige me by letting me
know what is the accusation which you bring against my niece?"

"There has been most positively an offer made, Dr Thorne."

"And who made it?"

"Oh, of course I am not going to say but what Frank must have been
very imprudent. Of course he has been to blame. There has been fault
on both sides, no doubt."

"I utterly deny it. I positively deny it. I know nothing of the
circumstances; have heard nothing about it--"

"Then of course you can't say," said Lady Arabella.

"I know nothing of the circumstance; have heard nothing about it,"
continued Dr Thorne; "but I do know my niece, a