an end to the
proceedings which had been taken against Mr Harding. Had he spoken on
any other subject, she would have vanished, but on that she was bound
to hear him; and now the danger of her position commenced. While she
had an active part to play, while she clung to him as a suppliant, it
was easy enough for her to reject his proffered love, and cast from
her his caressing words; but now--now that he had yielded, and was
talking to her calmly and kindly as to her father's welfare, it was
hard enough for her to do so. Then Mary Bold assisted her; but now
she was quite on her brother's side. Mary said but little, but every
word she did say gave some direct and deadly blow. The first thing
she did was to make room for her brother between herself and Eleanor
on the sofa: as the sofa was full large for three, Eleanor could not
resent this, nor could she show suspicion by taking another seat; but
she felt it to be a most unkind proceeding. And then Mary would talk
as though they three were joined in some close peculiar bond together;
as though they were in future always to wish together, contrive
together, and act together; and Eleanor could not gainsay this; she
could not make another speech, and say, "Mr Bold and I are strangers,
Mary, and are always to remain so!"

He explained to her that, though undoubtedly the proceeding against
the hospital had commenced solely with himself, many others were now
interested in the matter, some of whom were much more influential than
himself; that it was to him alone, however, that the lawyers looked
for instruction as to their doings, and, more important still, for
the payment of their bills; and he promised that he would at once
give them notice that it was his intention to abandon the cause. He
thought, he said, that it was not probable that any active steps would
be taken after he had seceded from the matter, though it was possible
that some passing allusion might still be made to the hospital in the
daily _Jupiter_. He promised, however, that he would use his best
influence to prevent any further personal allusion being made to Mr
Harding. He then suggested that he would on that afternoon ride over
himself to Dr Grantly, and inform him of his altered intentions on the
subject, and with this view, he postponed his immediate return to
London.

This was all very pleasant, and Eleanor did enjoy a sort of triumph in
the feeling that she had attained the object for which she