‘You did not see Umbleby as you came in?’ again asked the squire.

’No, I did not; and if you will take my advice you will not see him now; at any rate with reference to this money.’

’I tell you I must get it from someone; you say Scatcherd won’t let me have it.’

‘No, Mr Gresham; I did not say that.’

’Well, you said what was as bad.  Augusta is to be married in September, and the money must be had.  I have agreed to give Moffat six thousand pounds, and he is to have the money down in hard cash.’

‘Six thousand pounds,’ said the doctor.  ’Well, I suppose that is not more than your daughter should have.  But then, five times six are thirty; thirty thousand pounds will be a large sum to make up.’

The father thought to himself that his younger girls were but children, and that the trouble of arranging their marriage portions might well be postponed a while.  Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.

’That Moffat is a gripping, hungry fellow,’said the squire.  ’I suppose Augusta likes him; and, as regards money, it is a good match.’

’If Miss Gresham loves him, that is everything.  I am not in love with him myself; but then, I am not a young lady.’

’The De Courcys are very fond of him.  Lady de Courcy says that he is a perfect gentleman, and thought very much of in London.’

‘Oh! if Lady de Courcy says that, of course, it’s all right,’ said the doctor, with a quiet sarcasm, that was altogether thrown away on the squire.

The squire did not like any of the De Courcys; especially, he did not like Lady de Courcy; but still he was accessible to a certain amount of gratification in the near connexion which he had with the earl and countess; and when he wanted to support his family greatness, would sometimes weakly fall back upon the grandeur of Courcy Castle.  It was only when talking to his wife that he invariably snubbed the pretensions of his noble relatives.

The two men after this remained silent for a while; and then the doctor, renewing the subject for which he had been summoned into the book-room, remarked that as Scatcherd was now in the country—­he did not say, was now at Boxall Hill, as he did not wish to wound the squire’s ears—­perhaps he had better go and see him, and ascertain in what way this affair of the money might be arranged.  There was no doubt, he said, that Scatcherd would supply the sum required at a lower rate of interest than that which it could be procured through Umbleby’s means.

‘Very well,’ said the squire.  ’I’ll leave it in your hands, then.  I think ten thousand pounds will do.  And now I’ll dress for dinner.’  And then the doctor left him.

Perhaps the reader will suppose after this that the doctor had some pecuniary interest of his own in arranging the squire’s loans; or, at any rate, he will think that the squire must have so thought.  Not in the least; neither had he any such interest, nor did the squire think that he had any.  What Dr Thorne did in this matter the squire well knew was done for love.  But the squire of Greshamsbury was a great man at Greshamsbury; and it behoved him to maintain the greatness of his squirehood when discussing his affairs with the village doctor.  So much he had at any rate learnt from his contact with the De Courcys.