When the doctor declared that he expected an honest answer the squire listened with all his ears; but the question, when finished, seemed to have no bearing on the present case.

’Come, squire, speak your mind faithfully.  There was some talk of Frank’s marrying Miss Dunstable; did you mean to object to that match?’

‘Miss Dunstable was legitimate; at least, I presume so.’

’Oh, Mr Gresham! has it come to that?  Miss Dunstable, then, would have satisfied your ideas of high birth?’

Mr Gresham was rather posed, and regretted, at the moment, his allusion to Miss Dunstable’s presumed legitimacy.  But he soon recovered himself.  ‘No,’ said he, ’it would not.  And I am willing to admit, as I have admitted before, that the undoubted advantages arising from wealth are taken by the world as atoning for what otherwise would be a mesalliance.  But—­’

’You admit that, do you?  You acknowledge that as your conviction on the subject?’

‘Yes.  But—­’ The squire was going on to explain the propriety of this opinion, but the doctor uncivilly would not hear him.

‘Then squire, I will not interfere in this matter one way or the other.’

‘How on earth can such an opinion—­’

’Pray excuse me, Mr Gresham; but my mind is now quite made up.  It was very nearly so before.  I will do nothing to encourage Frank, nor will I say anything to discourage Mary.’

’That is the most singular resolution that a man of sense like you ever came to.’

‘I can’t help it, squire; it is my resolution.’

‘But what has Miss Dunstable’s fortune to do with it?’

’I cannot say that it has anything; but, in this matter, I will not interfere.’

The squire went on for some time, but it was all to no purpose; and at last he left the house, considerably in dudgeon.  The only conclusion to which he could come was, that Dr Thorne had thought the chance on his niece’s behalf too good to be thrown away, and had, therefore, resolved to act in a very singular way.

’I would not have believed it of him, though all Barsetshire had told me,’ he said to himself as he entered the great gates; and he went on repeating the same words till he found himself in his own room.  ’No, not if all Barsetshire had told me!’

He did not, however, communicate the ill result of his visit to the Lady Arabella.

CHAPTER XLII

What can you give in return?

In spite of the family troubles, these were happy days for Beatrice.  It so seldom happens that young ladies on the eve of their marriage have their husbands living near them.  This happiness was hers, and Mr Oriel made the most of it.  She was constantly being coaxed down to the parsonage by Patience, in order that she might give her opinion, in private, on some domestic arrangement, some piece of furniture, or some new carpet; but this privacy was always invaded.  What Mr Oriel’s parishioners did in these halcyon days, I will not ask.  His morning services, however, had been altogether given up, and he had provided himself with a very excellent curate.