rning
rather red, "I am not sure that he could do much better. I know
nothing whatever against Mary. Frank, however, cannot afford to make
such a match. It would be his ruin."

"Of course it would; utter ruin; he never could hold up his head
again. Therefore it is I ask, What do you intend to do?"

The squire was bothered. He had no intention whatever of doing
anything, and no belief in his wife's assertion as to Dr Thorne's
iniquity. But he did not know how to get her out of the room. She
asked him the same question over and over again, and on each occasion
urged on him the heinousness of the insult to which she personally
had been subjected; so that at last he was driven to ask her what it
was she wished him to do.

"Well, then, Mr Gresham, if you ask me, I must say, that I think you
should abstain from any intercourse with Dr Thorne whatever."

"Break off all intercourse with him?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean? He has been turned out of this house, and I'm not
to go to see him at his own."

"I certainly think that you ought to discontinue your visits to Dr
Thorne altogether."

"Nonsense, my dear; absolute nonsense."

"Nonsense! Mr Gresham; it is no nonsense. As you speak in that way,
I must let you know plainly what I feel. I am endeavouring to do
my duty by my son. As you justly observe, such a marriage as this
would be utter ruin to him. When I found that the young people were
actually talking of being in love with each other, making vows and
all that sort of thing, I did think it time to interfere. I did not,
however, turn them out of Greshamsbury as you accuse me of doing. In
the kindest possible manner--"

"Well--well--well; I know all that. There, they are gone, and that's
enough. I don't complain; surely that ought to be enough."

"Enough! Mr Gresham. No; it is not enough. I find that, in spite
of what has occurred, the closest intimacy exists between the two
families; that poor Beatrice, who is so very young, and not so
prudent as she should be, is made to act as a go-between; and when
I speak to the doctor, hoping that he will assist me in preventing
this, he not only tells me that he means to encourage Mary in her
plans, but positively insults me to my face, laughs at me for being
an earl's daughter, and tells me--yes, he absolutely told me--to get
out of his house."

Let it be told with some shame as to the squire's conduct, that his
first feeling on hearing this was one of envy--of envy and