e as good, or perhaps better, than the Greshams,
but I should be sorry to say so seriously to any one. The Greshams
now stand much higher in the county than the Thornes do."

"But they are of the same class."

"Yes, yes; Wilfred Thorne of Ullathorne, and our friend the squire
here, are of the same class."

"But, uncle, I and Augusta Gresham--are we of the same class?"

"Well, Minnie, you would hardly have me boast that I am the same
class with the squire--I, a poor country doctor?"

"You are not answering me fairly, dear uncle; dearest uncle, do you
not know that you are not answering me fairly? You know what I mean.
Have I a right to call the Thornes of Ullathorne my cousins?"

"Mary, Mary, Mary!" said he after a minute's pause, still allowing
his arm to hang loose, that she might hold it with both her hands.
"Mary, Mary, Mary! I would that you had spared me this!"

"I could not have spared it to you for ever, uncle."

"I would that you could have done so; I would that you could!"

"It is over now, uncle: it is told now. I will grieve you no more.
Dear, dear, dearest! I should love you more than ever now; I would,
I would, I would if that were possible. What should I be but for
you? What must I have been but for you?" And she threw herself on
his breast, and clinging with her arms round his neck, kissed his
forehead, cheeks, and lips.

There was nothing more said then on the subject between them. Mary
asked no further question, nor did the doctor volunteer further
information. She would have been most anxious to ask about her
mother's history had she dared to do so; but she did not dare to ask;
she could not bear to be told that her mother had been, perhaps was,
a worthless woman. That she was truly a daughter of a brother of the
doctor, that she did know. Little as she had heard of her relatives
in her early youth, few as had been the words which had fallen from
her uncle in her hearing as to her parentage, she did know this, that
she was the daughter of Henry Thorne, a brother of the doctor, and a
son of the old prebendary. Trifling little things that had occurred,
accidents which could not be prevented, had told her this; but not
a word had ever passed any one's lips as to her mother. The doctor,
when speaking of his youth, had spoken of her father; but no one had
spoken of her mother. She had long known that she was the child of a
Thorne; now she knew also that she was no cousin of the Thornes of
Ullath