Early in July Frank was to come home.  The manner in which the comings and goings of ‘poor Frank’ were allowed to disturb the arrangements of all the ladies, and some of the gentlemen, of Greshamsbury was most abominable.  And yet it can hardly be said to have been his fault.  He would have been only too well pleased had things been allowed to go on after their old fashion.  Things were not allowed so to go on.  At Christmas Miss Oriel had submitted to be exiled, in order that she might carry Mary away from the presence of the young Bashaw, an arrangement by which all the winter festivities of the poor doctor had been thoroughly sacrificed; and now it began to be said that some similar plan for the summer must be arranged.

It must not be supposed that any direction to this effect was conveyed either to Mary or to the doctor.  The suggestion came from them, and was mentioned only to Patience.  But Patience, as a matter of course, told Beatrice, and Beatrice told her mother, somewhat triumphantly, hoping thereby to convince the she-dragon of Mary’s innocence.  Alas! she-dragons are not easily convinced of the innocence of any one.  Lady Arabella quite coincided the propriety of Mary’s being sent off,—­whither she never inquired,—­in order that the coast might be clear for ‘poor Frank’; but she did not a whit the more abstain from talking of the wicked intrigues of those Thornes.  As it turned out, Mary’s absence caused her to talk all the more.

The Boxall Hill property, including the house and furniture, had been left to the contractor’s son; it being understood that the property would not be at present in his own hands, but that he might inhabit the house if he chose to do so.  It would thus be necessary for Lady Scatcherd to find a home for herself, unless she could remain at Boxall Hill by her son’s permission.  In this position of affairs the doctor had been obliged to make a bargain between them.  Sir Louis did wish to have the comfort, or perhaps the honour, of a country house; but he did not wish to have the expense of keeping it up.  He was also willing to let his mother live at the house; but not without a consideration.  After a prolonged degree of haggling, terms were agreed upon; and a few weeks after her husband’s death, Lady Scatcherd found herself alone at Boxall Hill—­alone as regards society in the ordinary sense, but not quite alone as concerned her ladyship, for the faithful Hannah was still with her.

The doctor was of course often at Boxall Hill, and never left it without an urgent request from Lady Scatcherd that he would bring his niece over to see her.  Now Lady Scatcherd was no fit companion for Mary Thorne, and though Mary had often asked to be taken to Boxall Hill, certain considerations had hitherto induced the doctor to refuse the request; but there was about Lady Scatcherd,—­a kind of homely honesty of purpose, an absence of all conceit as to her own position, and a strength of womanly confidence in the doctor as her friend, which by degrees won upon his heart.  When, therefore, both he and Mary felt that it would be better for her again to absent herself for a while from Greshamsbury, it was, after much deliberation, agreed that she should go on a visit to Boxall Hill.