But when the morning came the duty could not be postponed.  Lady Arabella had given him to understand that his niece would no longer be a guest at Greshamsbury; and it was quite out of the question that Mary, after this, should be allowed to put her foot within the gate of the domain without having learnt what Lady Arabella had said.  So he told it before breakfast, walking round their little garden, she with her hand in his.

He was perfectly thunderstruck by the collected—­nay, cool way in which she received his tidings.  She turned pale, indeed; he felt also that her hand somewhat trembled in his own, and he perceived that for a moment her voice shook; but no angry word escaped her lip, nor did she even deign to repudiate the charge, which was, as it were, conveyed in Lady Arabella’s request.  The doctor knew, or thought he knew—­nay, he did know—­that Mary was wholly blameless in the matter:  that she had at least given no encouragement to any love on the part of the young heir; but, nevertheless, he had expected that she would avouch her own innocence.  This, however, she by no means did.

‘Lady Arabella is quite right,’ she said, ’quite right; if she has any fear of that kind, she cannot be too careful.’

‘She is a selfish, proud woman,’ said the doctor; ’quite indifferent to the feelings of others; quite careless how deeply she may hurt her neighbours, if, in doing so, she may possibly benefit herself.’

’She will not hurt me, uncle, nor yet you.  I can live without going to Greshamsbury.’

’But it is not to be endured that she should dare to cast an imputation on my darling.’

’On me, uncle?  She casts no imputation on me.  Frank has been foolish:  I have said nothing of it, for it was not worth while to trouble you.  But as Lady Arabella chooses to interfere, I have no right to blame her.  He has said what he should not have said; he has been foolish.  Uncle, you know I could not prevent it.’

‘Let her send him away then, not you; let her banish him.’

’Uncle, he is her son.  A mother can hardly send her son away so easily:  could you send me away, uncle?’

He merely answered her by twining his arm round her waist and pressing her to his side.  He was well sure that she was badly treated; and yet now that she so unaccountably took Lady Arabella’s part, he hardly knew how to make this out plainly to be the case.

’Besides, uncle, Greshamsbury is in a manner his own; how can he be banished from his father’s house?  No, uncle; there is an end of my visits there.  They shall find that I will not thrust myself in their way.’

And then Mary, with a calm brow and steady gait, went in and made the tea.