collected on these former gala doings. Indeed, the party at
Greshamsbury was not a large one, and consisted chiefly of Lady de
Courcy and her suite. Lady Arabella still kept up, as far as she was
able, her close connexion with Courcy Castle. She was there as much as
possible, to which Mr Gresham never objected; and she took her
daughters there whenever she could, though, as regarded the two elder
girls, she was interfered with by Mr Gresham, and not unfrequently by
the girls themselves. Lady Arabella had a pride in her son, though he
was by no means her favourite child. He was, however, the heir of
Greshamsbury, of which fact she was disposed to make the most, and he
was also a fine open-hearted young man, who could not but be dear to
any mother. Lady Arabella did love him dearly, though she felt a sort
of disappointment in regard to him, seeing that he was not so much like
a De Courcy as he should have been. She did love him dearly; and,
therefore, when he came of age she got her sister-in-law and all the
Ladies Amelia, Rosina etc. to come to Greshamsbury; and she also, with
some difficulty, persuaded the Honourable Georges and the Honourable
Johns to be equally condescending. Lord de Courcy himself was in
attendance at the Court--or said that he was--and Lord Porlock, the
eldest son, simply told his aunt when he was invited that he never
bored himself with those sort of things.

Then there were the Bakers, and the Batesons, and the Jacksons, who all
lived near and returned home at night; there was the Reverend Caleb
Oriel, the High-Church rector, with his beautiful sister Patience
Oriel; there was Mr Yates Umbleby, the attorney and agent; and there
was Dr Thorne, and the doctor's modest, quiet-looking little niece,
Miss Mary.