on John Marrable, though he said nothing in his letters to
Dunripple about the doings of his nephew at Loring, was by no
means equally reticent in his speech at Loring as to the doings at
Dunripple. How he came by his news he did not say, but he had ever so
much to tell. And Miss Marrable, who knew him well, was aware that
his news was not simple gossip, but was told with an object. In
his way, Parson John was a crafty man, who was always doing a turn
of business. To his mind it was clearly inexpedient, and almost
impracticable, that his nephew and Mary Lowther should ever become
man and wife. He knew that they were separated; but he knew, also,
that they had agreed to separate on terms which would easily admit
of being reconsidered. He, too, had heard of Edith Brownlow, and had
heard that if a marriage could be arranged between Walter and Edith,
the family troubles would be in a fair way of settlement. No good
could come to anybody from that other marriage. As for Mary Lowther,
it was manifestly her duty to become Mrs. Gilmore. He therefore took
some trouble to let the ladies at Uphill know that Captain Marrable
had been received very graciously at Dunripple; that he was making
himself very happy there, hunting, shooting, and forgetting his old
troubles; that it was understood that he was to be recognised as the
heir;--and that there was a young lady in the case, the favourite of
Sir Gregory.

He understood the world too well to say a word to Mary Lowther
herself about her rival. Mary would have perceived his drift. But
he expressed his ideas about Edith confidentially to Miss Marrable,
fully alive to the fact that Miss Marrable would know how to deal
with her niece. "It is by far the best thing that could have happened
to him," said the parson. "As for going out to India again, for a man
with his prospects it was very bad."

"But his cousin isn't much older than he is," suggested Miss
Marrable.

"Yes he is,--a great deal older. And Gregory's health is so bad that
his life is not worth a year's purchase. Poor fellow! they tell me he
only cares to live till he has got his book out. The truth is that
if Walter could make a match of it with Edith Brownlow, they might
arrange something about the property which would enable him to live
there just as though the place were his own. The Colonel would be the
only stumbling-block, and after what he has done, he could hardly
refuse to agree to anything."

"They'd have to pa