all
with him, and the punishment all with you."

"Oh! as for that," said Mary, laughing, "I will not confess to any
offence, nor yet to any punishment; certainly not to any punishment."

"It comes to the same thing in the end."

"No, not so, Patience; there is always some little sting of disgrace
in punishment: now I am not going to hold myself in the least
disgraced."

"But, Mary, you must meet the Greshams sometimes."

"Meet them! I have not the slightest objection on earth to meet all,
or any of them. They are not a whit dangerous to me, my dear. 'Tis
I that am the wild beast, and 'tis they that must avoid me," and
then she added, after a pause--slightly blushing--"I have not the
slightest objection even to meet him if chance brings him in my way.
Let them look to that. My undertaking goes no further than this, that
I will not be seen within their gates."

But the girls so far understood each other that Patience undertook,
rather than promised, to give Mary what assistance she could; and,
despite Mary's bravado, she was in such a position that she much
wanted the assistance of such a friend as Miss Oriel.

After an absence of some six weeks, Frank, as we have seen, returned
home. Nothing was said to him, except by Beatrice, as to these new
Greshamsbury arrangements; and he, when he found Mary was not at the
place, went boldly to the doctor's house to seek her. But it has been
seen, also, that she discreetly kept out of his way. This she had
thought fit to do when the time came, although she had been so ready
with her boast that she had no objection on earth to meet him.

After that there had been the Christmas vacation, and Mary had again
found discretion to be the better part of valour. This was doubtless
disagreeable enough. She had no particular wish to spend her
Christmas with Miss Oriel's aunt instead of at her uncle's fireside.
Indeed, her Christmas festivities had hitherto been kept at
Greshamsbury, the doctor and herself having made a part of the family
circle there assembled. This was out of the question now; and perhaps
the absolute change to old Miss Oriel's house was better for her than
the lesser change to her uncle's drawing-room. Besides, how could she
have demeaned herself when she met Frank in their parish church? All
this had been fully understood by Patience, and, therefore, had this
Christmas visit been planned.

And then this affair of Frank and Mary Thorne ceased for a while to
be t