nd am ready to assert
that there has not been fault on both sides. Whether there has been
any fault on any side, that I do not yet know."

"I can assure you, Dr Thorne, that an offer was made by Frank;
such an offer cannot be without its allurements to a young lady
circumstanced like your niece."

"Allurements!" almost shouted the doctor, and, as he did so, Lady
Arabella stepped back a pace or two, retreating from the fire which
shot out of his eyes. "But the truth is, Lady Arabella, you do not
know my niece. If you will have the goodness to let me understand
what it is that you desire I will tell you whether I can comply with
your wishes."

"Of course it will be very inexpedient that the young people should
be thrown together again;--for the present, I mean."

"Well!"

"Frank has now gone to Courcy Castle; and he talks of going from
thence to Cambridge. But he will doubtless be here, backwards and
forwards; and perhaps it will be better for all parties--safer,
that is, doctor--if Miss Thorne were to discontinue her visits to
Greshamsbury for a while."

"Very well!" thundered out the doctor. "Her visits to Greshamsbury
shall be discontinued."

"Of course, doctor, this won't change the intercourse between us;
between you and the family."

"Not change it!" said he. "Do you think that I will break bread in a
house from whence she has been ignominiously banished? Do you think
that I can sit down in friendship with those who have spoken of her
as you have now spoken? You have many daughters; what would you say
if I accused one of them as you have accused her?"

"Accused, doctor! No, I don't accuse her. But prudence, you know,
does sometimes require us--"

"Very well; prudence requires you to look after those who belong
to you; and prudence requires me to look after my one lamb. Good
morning, Lady Arabella."

"But, doctor, you are not going to quarrel with us? You will come
when we want you; eh! won't you?"

Quarrel! quarrel with Greshamsbury! Angry as he was, the doctor felt
that he could ill bear to quarrel with Greshamsbury. A man past fifty
cannot easily throw over the ties that have taken twenty years to
form, and wrench himself away from the various close ligatures with
which, in such a period, he has become bound. He could not quarrel
with the squire; he could ill bear to quarrel with Frank; though he
now began to conceive that Frank had used him badly, he could not do
so; he could not quarrel with th