’You are not afraid that Dr Thorne will come here and attack you?  As far as I can understand, he never comes near the place, unless 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 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 he will encourage it.’

‘Oh, you misunderstand 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 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 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, turning rather red, ’I am not sure that he could do much better.  I know nothing whatever against Mary.  Frank, however, cannot afford to make such a match.  It would be his ruin.’

’Of course it would; utter ruin; he never could hold up his head again.  Therefore it is I ask, What do you intend to do?’

The squire was bothered.  He had no intention whatever of doing anything, and no belief in his wife’s assertion as to Dr Thorne’s iniquity.  But he did not know how to get her out of the room.  She asked him the same question over and over again, and on each occasion urged on him the heinousness of the insult to which she personally had been subjected; so that at last he was driven to ask her what it was she wished him to do.

’Well, then, Mr Gresham, if you ask me, I must say, that I think you should abstain from any intercourse with Dr Thorne whatever.’