efuse me."

Beatrice did not refuse, but she did not appear too willing to
comply. She stood silent, leaning against the end of a sofa and
twisting her bonnet-strings in her hand.

"Well, Beatrice--"

"But, mamma, I don't understand."

Lady Arabella had said that she could not exactly explain: but she
found it necessary to attempt to do so.

"Dr Thorne has openly declared to me that a marriage between poor
Frank and Mary is all he could desire for his niece. After such
unparalleled audacity as that, even your father will see the
necessity of breaking with him."

"Dr Thorne! Oh, mamma, you must have misunderstood him."

"My dear, I am not apt to misunderstand people; especially when I am
so much in earnest as I was in talking to Dr Thorne."

"But, mamma, I know so well what Mary herself thinks about it."

"And I know what Dr Thorne thinks about it; he, at any rate, has been
candid in what he said; there can be no doubt on earth that he has
spoken his true thoughts; there can be no reason to doubt him: of
course such a match would be all that he could wish."

"Mamma, I feel sure that there is some mistake."

"Very well, my dear. I know that you are infatuated about these
people, and that you are always inclined to contradict what I say to
you; but, remember, I expect that you will obey me when I tell you
not to go to Dr Thorne's house any more."

"But, mamma--"

"I expect you to obey me, Beatrice. Though you are so prone to
contradict, you have never disobeyed me; and I fully trust that you
will not do so now."

Lady Arabella had begun by exacting, or trying to exact a promise,
but as she found that this was not forthcoming, she thought it better
to give up the point without a dispute. It might be that Beatrice
would absolutely refuse to pay this respect to her mother's
authority, and then where would she have been?

At this moment a servant came up to say that the squire was in his
room, and Lady Arabella was opportunely saved the necessity of
discussing the matter further with her daughter. "I am now," she
said, "going to see your father on the same subject; you may be quite
sure, Beatrice, that I should not willingly speak to him on any
matter relating to Dr Thorne did I not find it absolutely necessary
to do so."

This Beatrice knew was true, and she did therefore feel convinced
that something terrible must have happened.

While Lady Arabella opened her budget the squire sat quite silent,
liste