ament."

"Indeed I will, doctor," said Frank. "I will excuse a longer lecture
than that from you."

"At any rate it won't be to-night," said the doctor, as he
disappeared. "And if you see Mary, tell her that I am obliged to go;
and that I will send Janet down to fetch her."

Now Janet was the doctor's ancient maid-servant.

Mary could not move on without being perceived; she therefore stood
still till she heard the click of the door, and then began walking
rapidly back to the house by the path which had brought her thither.
The moment, however, that she did so, she found that she was
followed; and in a very few moments Frank was alongside of her.

"Oh, Mary!" said he, calling to her, but not loudly, before he quite
overtook her, "how odd that I should come across you just when I have
a message for you! and why are you all alone?"

Mary's first impulse was to reiterate her command to him to call her
no more by her Christian name; but her second impulse told her that
such an injunction at the present moment would not be prudent on her
part. The traces of her tears were still there; and she well knew
that a very little, the slightest show of tenderness on his part, the
slightest effort on her own to appear indifferent, would bring down
more than one other such intruder. It would, moreover, be better
for her to drop all outward sign that she remembered what had taken
place. So long, then, as he and she were at Greshamsbury together, he
should call her Mary if he pleased. He would soon be gone; and while
he remained, she would keep out of his way.

"Your uncle has been obliged to go away to see an old woman at
Silverbridge."

"At Silverbridge! why, he won't be back all night. Why could not the
old woman send for Dr Century?"

"I suppose she thought two old women could not get on well together."

Mary could not help smiling. She did not like her uncle going off so
late on such a journey; but it was always felt as a triumph when he
was invited into the strongholds of his enemies.

"And Janet is to come over for you. However, I told him it was quite
unnecessary to disturb another old woman, for that I should of course
see you home."

"Oh, no, Mr Gresham; indeed you'll not do that."

"Indeed, and indeed, I shall."

"What! on this great day, when every lady is looking for you, and
talking of you. I suppose you want to set the countess against me for
ever. Think, too, how angry Lady Arabella will be if you are ab