was a home for him if he
would give up his profession, or a retreat whenever his professional
duties might allow him to visit it. Horses should be kept for him,
and he should be treated in every way as a son of the family.

"Take my father at his word," said Gregory Marrable. "He will never
let you be short of money."

After much consideration Walter Marrable did take Sir Gregory at his
word, and abandoned for ever all idea of a further career in India.

As soon as he had done this he wrote to Mary Lowther to inform her of
his decision. "It does seem hard," he said in his letter, "that an
arrangement which is in so many respects desirable, should not have
been compatible with one which is so much more desirable." But he
made no renewed offer. Indeed he felt that he could not do so at the
present moment, in honesty either to his cousin or to his uncle, as
he had accepted their hospitality and acceded to the arrangements
which they had proposed without any word on his part of such
intention. A home had been offered to him at Dunripple,--to him in
his present condition, but certainly not a home to any wife whom
he might bring there, nor a home to the family which might come
afterwards. He thought that he was doing the best that he could with
himself by remaining in England, and the best also towards a possible
future renewal of his engagement with Mary Lowther. But of that he
said nothing in his letter to her. He merely told her the fact as it
regarded himself, and told that somewhat coldly. Of Edith Brownlow,
and of the proposition in regard to her, of course he said nothing.

It was the intention both of Sir Gregory and his son that the new
inmate of the house should marry Edith. The old man, who, up to a
late date had with weak persistency urged the match upon his son,
had taken up the idea from the very first arrival of his nephew
at Dunripple. Such an arrangement would solve all the family
difficulties, and would enable him to provide for Edith as though she
were indeed his daughter. He loved Edith dearly, but he could not
bear that she should leave Dunripple, and it had grieved him sorely
when he reflected that in coming years Dunripple must belong to
relatives of whom he knew nothing that was good, and that Edith
Brownlow must be banished from the house. If his son would have
married Edith, all might have been well, but even Sir Gregory was at
last aware that no such marriage as that could take place. Then had