t her
increased doubts and fears as to herself then come in to check her
triumph and destroy her joy. She had not yet confessed to any one
her secret regret for the friend she had driven away. She hardly yet
acknowledged to herself that she did regret him; but she was uneasy,
frightened, and in low spirits.

"My dear," said the squire, sitting down by her bedside, "I want to
tell you what Sir Omicron said as he went away."

"Well?" said her ladyship, sitting up and looking frightened.

"I don't know how you may take it, Bell; but I think it very good
news:" the squire never called his wife Bell, except when he wanted
her to be on particularly good terms with him.

"Well?" said she again. She was not over-anxious to be gracious, and
did not reciprocate his familiarity.

"Sir Omicron says that you should have Thorne back again, and upon my
honour, I cannot but agree with him. Now, Thorne is a clever man, a
very clever man; nobody denies that; and then, you know--"

"Why did not Sir Omicron say that to me?" said her ladyship, sharply,
all her disposition in Dr Thorne's favour becoming wonderfully damped
by her husband's advocacy.

"I suppose he thought it better to say it to me," said the squire,
rather curtly.

"He should have spoken to myself," said Lady Arabella, who, though
she did not absolutely doubt her husband's word, gave him credit
for having induced and led on Sir Omicron to the uttering of this
opinion. "Doctor Thorne has behaved to me in so gross, so indecent a
manner! And then, as I understand, he is absolutely encouraging that
girl--"

"Now, Bell, you are quite wrong--"

"Of course I am; I always am quite wrong."

"Quite wrong in mixing up two things; Doctor Thorne as an
acquaintance, and Dr Thorne as a doctor."

"It is dreadful to have him here, even standing in the room with me.
How can one talk to one's doctor openly and confidentially when one
looks upon him as one's worst enemy?" And Lady Arabella, softening,
almost melted into tears.

"My dear, you cannot wonder that I should be anxious for you."

Lady Arabella gave a little snuffle, which might be taken as a not
very eloquent expression of thanks for the squire's solicitude, or as
an ironical jeer at his want of sincerity.

"And, therefore, I have not lost a moment in telling you what Sir
Omicron said. 'You should have Thorne back here;' those were his very
words. You can think it over, my dear. And remember this, Bell; if he
is t