第66章

The doctor knew that something very unpleasant was coming, but he could not at all guess what might be its nature. He felt, however, that he must say something; so he expressed a hope that he was duly sensible of all the acts of kindness he had ever received from the squire and the family at large.

'I hope, therefore, my dear doctor, you won't take amiss what I am going to say.'

'Well, Lady Arabella, I'll endeavour not to do so.'

'I am sure I would not give any pain if I could help it, much less to you. But there are occasions, doctor, in which duty must be paramount; paramount to all other considerations, you know, and, certainly, this occasion is one of them.'

'But what is the occasion, Lady Arabella?'

'I'll tell you, doctor. You know what Frank's position is?'

'Frank's position?'

'Why his position in life; an only son, you know.'

'Oh, yes; I know his position in that respect; an only son, and his father's heir; and a very fine fellow, he is. You have but one son, Lady Arabella, and you may well be proud of him.'

Lady Arabella sighed. She did not wish at the present moment to express herself as being in any way proud of Frank. She was desirous rather, on the other hand, of showing that she was a good deal ashamed of him; only not quite so much ashamed of him as it behoved the doctor to be of his niece.'

'Well, perhaps so; yes,' said Lady Arabella, 'he is, I believe, a very good young man, with an excellent disposition; but, doctor, his position is very precarious; and he is just at that time of life when caution is necessary.'

To the doctor's ears, Lady Arabella was now talking of her son as a mother might of her infant when whooping-cough was abroad our croup imminent. 'There is nothing on earth the matter with him, I should say,' said the doctor. 'He has every possible sign of perfect health.'

'Oh yes; his health! Yes, thank God, his health is good; that is a great blessing.' And Lady Arabella thought of her four flowerets that had already faded. 'I am sure I am most thankful to see him growing up so strong. But it is not that I mean, doctor.'

'Then what is it, Lady Arabella?'

'Why, doctor, the squire's position with regard to money matters.'

Now the doctor undoubtedly did know the squire's position with regard to money matters,--knew it much better than Lady Arabella; but he was by no means inclined to talk on that subject to her ladyship. He remained quite silent, therefore, although Lady Arabella's last speech had taken the form of a question. Lady Arabella was a little offended at this want of freedom on his part, and become somewhat sterner in her tone--a thought less condescending in her manner.

'The squire has unfortunately embarrassed the property, and Frank must look forward to inherit it with very heavy encumbrances; I fear very heavy indeed, though of what exact nature I am kept in ignorance.'

Looking at the doctor's face, she perceived that there was no probability whatever that her ignorance would be enlightened by him.

'And, therefore, it is highly necessary that Frank should be very careful.'

'As to his private expenditure, you mean?' said the doctor.

'No; not exactly that: though of course he must be careful as to that, too; that's of course. But that is not what I mean, doctor; his only hope of retrieving his circumstances is by marrying money.'

'With every other conjugal blessing that a man can have, I hope he may have that also.' So the doctor replied with imperturbable face; but not the less did he begin to have a shade of suspicion of what might be the coming subject of the conference. It would be untrue to say that he had ever thought it probable that the young heir should fall in love with his niece; that he had ever looked forward to such a chance, either with complacency or with fear; nevertheless, the idea had of late passed through his mind. Some word had fallen from Mary, some closely watched expression of her eye, or some quiver in her lip when Frank's name was mentioned, had of late made him involuntarily think that such a thing might not be impossible; and then, when the chance of Mary becoming the heiress to so large a fortune had been forced upon his consideration, he had been unable to prevent himself from building happy castles in the air, as he rode slowly home from Boxall Hill. But not a whit the more on that account was he prepared to be untrue to the squire's interest or to encourage a feeling which must be distasteful to all the squire's friends.

'Yes, doctor; he must marry money.'

'And worth, Lady Arabella; and a pure feminine heart; and youth and beauty. I hope he will marry them all.'

Could it be possible, that in speaking of a pure feminine heart, and youth and beauty, and such like gewgaws, the doctor was thinking of his niece? Could it be that he had absolutely made up his mind to foster and encourage this odious match?

The bare idea made Lady Arabella wrathful, and her wrath gave her courage. 'He must marry money, or he will be a ruined man. Now, doctor, I am informed that things--words that is--have passed between him and Mary which never ought to have been allowed.'

And now the doctor was wrathful. 'What things? what words?' said he, appearing to Lady Arabella as though he rose in his anger nearly a foot in altitude before her eyes. 'What has passed between them? and who says so?'

'Doctor, there have been love-makings, you may take my word for it; love-makings of a very, very advanced description.'

This, the doctor could not stand. No, not for Greshamsbury and its heir; not for the squire and all his misfortunes; not for Lady Arabella and the blood of the De Courcys could he stand quiet and hear Mary accused. He sprang up another foot in height, and expanded equally in width as he flung back the insinuation.

'Who says so? Whoever says so, whoever speaks of Miss Thorne in such language, says what is not true. I will pledge my word--'

'My dear doctor, my dear doctor, what took place was quite clearly heard; there was no mistake about it, indeed.'

'What took place? What was heard?'