’It never occurs to you to tie him up, to put him in prison.  No; he is the heir of Greshamsbury; he is your son, an earl’s grandson.  It is only natural, after all, that he should throw a few foolish words at the doctor’s niece.  But she! it is an offence not to be forgiven on her part that she should, however, unwillingly, have been forced to listen to them!  Now understand me, Lady Arabella; if any of your family come to my house I shall be delighted to welcome them; if Mary should meet any of them elsewhere I shall be delighted to hear of it.  Should she tell me to-morrow that she was engaged to marry Frank, I should talk the matter over with her, quite coolly, solely with a view to her interest, as would be my duty; feeling, at the same time, that Frank would be lucky in having such a wife.  Now you know my mind, Lady Arabella.  It is so I should do my duty;—­you can do yours as you may think fit.’

Lady Arabella had by this time perceived that she was not destined, on this occasion to gain any great victory.  She, however, was angry as well as the doctor.  It was not the man’s vehemence that provoked her so much as his evident determination to break down the prestige of her rank, and place her on a footing in no respect superior to his own.  He had never before been so audaciously arrogant; and, as she moved towards the door, she determined in her wrath that she would never again have confidential intercourse with him in any relation of life whatsoever.

‘Dr Thorne,’ said she.  ’I think you have forgotten yourself.  You must excuse me if I say that after what has passed I—­I—­I—­’

‘Certainly,’ said he, fully understanding what she meant; and bowing low as he opened first the study-door, then the front-door, then the garden-gate.

And then the Lady Arabella stalked off, not without full observation from Mrs Yates Umbleby and her friend Miss Gustring, who lived close by.

CHAPTER XXVII

MISS THORNE GOES ON A VISIT

And now began the unpleasant things at Greshamsbury of which we have here told.  When Lady Arabella walked away from the doctor’s house she resolved that, let it cost what it might, there should be war to the knife between her and him.  She had been insulted by him—­so at least she said to herself, and so she was prepared to say to others also—­and it was not to be borne that a De Courcy should allow her parish doctor to insult her with impunity.  She would tell her husband with all the dignity that she could assume, that it had now become absolutely necessary that he should protect his wife by breaking entirely with his unmannered neighbour; and, as regarded the young members of her family, she would use the authority of a mother, and absolutely forbid them to hold any intercourse with Mary Thorne.  So resolving, she walked quickly back to her own house.