reshamsbury; not a doubt about that."

"Or to Boxall Hill," said the lady; "you'll find quite as much zeal
there as at Greshamsbury."

"And more discretion, you should add," said the gentleman.

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Miss Dunstable; "your discretion indeed! But
you have not told me a word about Lady Arabella."

"My mother is quite well," said the gentleman.

"And the doctor? By the by, my dear, I've had such a letter from the
doctor; only two days ago. I'll show it you upstairs to-morrow. But
mind, it must be a positive secret. If he goes on in this way he'll
get himself into the Tower, or Coventry, or a blue-book, or some
dreadful place."

"Why; what has he said?"

"Never you mind, Master Frank: I don't mean to show you the letter,
you may be sure of that. But if your wife will swear three times on
a poker and tongs that she won't reveal, I'll show it to her. And so
you are quite settled at Boxall Hill, are you?"

"Frank's horses are settled; and the dogs nearly so," said Frank's
wife; "but I can't boast much of anything else yet."

"Well, there's a good time coming. I must go and change my things
now. But, Mary, mind you get near me this evening; I have such a deal
to say to you." And then Miss Dunstable marched out of the room.

All this had been said in so loud a voice that it was, as a matter
of course, overheard by Mark Robarts--that part of the conversation
of course I mean which had come from Miss Dunstable. And then Mark
learned that this was young Frank Gresham of Boxall Hill, son of
old Mr. Gresham of Greshamsbury. Frank had lately married a great
heiress; a greater heiress, men said, even than Miss Dunstable;
and as the marriage was hardly as yet more than six months old the
Barsetshire world was still full of it.

"The two heiresses seem to be very loving, don't they?" said Mr.
Supplehouse. "Birds of a feather flock together, you know. But they
did say some little time ago that young Gresham was to have married
Miss Dunstable herself."

"Miss Dunstable! why, she might almost be his mother," said Mark.

"That makes but little difference. He was obliged to marry money, and
I believe there is no doubt that he did at one time propose to Miss
Dunstable."

"I have had a letter from Lufton," Mr. Sowerby said to him the next
morning. "He declares that the delay was all your fault. You were to
have told Lady Lufton before he did anything, and he was waiting to
write about it till he heard from you.