and a very bad time she had of it while doing so. Sir
Louis was a man easily angered, and not very easily pacified, and
Mary had to endure a good deal of annoyance; from any other person,
indeed, she would have called it impertinence. Sir Louis, however,
had to bear his rejection as best he could, and, after a perseverance
of three days, returned to London in disgust; and Mary had not seen
him since.

Mr Greyson's first letter was followed by a second; and the second
was followed by the baronet in person. He also required to be
received _en grand seigneur_, perhaps more imperatively than Mr
Mortimer Gazebee himself. He came with four posters from the
Barchester Station, and had himself rattled up to the doctor's door
in a way that took the breath away from all Greshamsbury. Why! the
squire himself for a many long year had been contented to come home
with a pair of horses; and four were never seen in the place, except
when the de Courcys came to Greshamsbury, or Lady Arabella with all
her daughters returned from her hard-fought metropolitan campaigns.

Sir Louis, however, came with four, and very arrogant he looked,
leaning back in the barouche belonging to the George and Dragon,
and wrapped up in fur, although it was now midsummer. And up in the
dicky behind was a servant, more arrogant, if possible, than his
master--the baronet's own man, who was the object of Dr Thorne's
special detestation and disgust. He was a little fellow, chosen
originally on account of his light weight on horseback; but if that
may be considered a merit, it was the only one he had. His out-door
show dress was a little tight frock-coat, round which a polished
strap was always buckled tightly, a stiff white choker, leather
breeches, top-boots, and a hat, with a cockade, stuck on one side
of his head. His name was Jonah, which his master and his master's
friends shortened into Joe; none, however, but those who were very
intimate with his master were allowed to do so with impunity.

This Joe was Dr Thorne's special aversion. In his anxiety to take
every possible step to keep Sir Louis from poisoning himself, he had
at first attempted to enlist the baronet's "own man" in the cause.
Joe had promised fairly, but had betrayed the doctor at once, and
had become the worst instrument of his master's dissipation. When,
therefore, his hat and the cockade were seen, as the carriage dashed
up to the door, the doctor's contentment was by no means increased.