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276 repress a tone of triumph as she spoke, 'I do expect, Mr. Gresham, that you will—will—'

'Will what, my dear?'

'Will at least protect me from the repetition of such treatment?'

'You are not afraid that Dr. Thorne will come here to attack you? As far as I can understand, he never comes near the place, unless when you send for him.'

'No; I do not think that he will come to Greshamsbury any more. I believe I have put a stop to that.'

'Then what is it, my dear, that you want me to do?'

Lady Arabella paused a minute before she replied. The game which she now had to play was not very easy; she knew, or thought she knew, that her husband, in his heart of hearts, much preferred his friend to the wife of his bosom, and that he would, if he could, shuffle out of noticing the doctor's iniquities. It behoved her, therefore, to put them forward in such a way that they must be noticed.

'I suppose, Mr. Gresham, you do not wish that Frank should marry the girl?'

'I do not think that there is the slightest chance of such a thing; and I am quite sure that Dr. Thorne would not encourage it.'

'But I tell you, Mr. Gresham, that he says that he will encourage it.'

'Oh, you have misunderstood him.'

'Of course; I always misunderstand everything. I know that. I misunderstood it when I told you how you would distress yourself if you took those nasty hounds.'

'I have had other troubles more expensive than the hounds,' said the poor squire, sighing.

'Oh, yes; I know what you mean; a wife and family are expensive, of course. It is a little too late now to complain of that.'

'My dear, it is always too late to complain of any troubles when they are no longer to be avoided. We need not, therefore, talk any more about the hounds at present.'

'I do not wish to speak of them, Mr. Gresham.'

'Nor I.'

'But I hope you will not think me unreasonable if I am anxious to know what you intend to do about Dr. Thorne.'

'To do?'

'Yes; I suppose you will do something: you do not wish to see your son marry such a girl as Mary Thorne.'

'As far as the girl herself is concerned,' said the squire,