During all this time, the once close intercourse between the Court and the parsonage had been somewhat broken off. Arthur had never been in the Squire's house since the day when Lucrece jilted him; and Clare was shy of showing herself in his vicinity. Blanche visited Mrs Tremayne occasionally, and sometimes Lysken paid a return visit; but very much less was seen of all than in old times. When, therefore, it became known at Enville Court that Arthur had received holy orders at the Bishop's last ordination, the whole family as it were woke with a start to the recollection that Arthur had almost passed out of their sphere. He was to be his father's curate for the present--the future was doubtful; but in an age when there were more livings than clergy to fill them, no difficulty need be expected in the way of obtaining promotion. Just after Jack and Gertrude had returned to London (to the great relief of every one, themselves not excepted), in his usual unannounced style, Mr John Feversham made his appearance at Enville Court. Blanche greeted him with a deep blush, for she felt ashamed of her former unworthy estimate of his character. John brought one interesting piece of news--that his uncle and aunt were well, and Lucrece was now the mother of a little boy. Lady Enville looked up quickly. Then John was no longer the heir of Feversham Hall. It might therefore be necessary--if he yet had any foolish hopes--to put an extinguisher upon him. She rapidly decided that she must issue private instructions to Sir Thomas. That gentleman, she said to herself, really was so foolish--particularly of late, since he had fallen into the pit of Puritanism--that if she did not look sharply after him, he might actually dream of resigning his last and fairest daughter to a penniless and prospectless suitor. If any such idea existed in the mind of Sir Thomas, of John Feversham, or of Blanche,--and since John had saved Blanche's life, it was not at all unlikely,--it must be nipped in the bud. Accordingly, on the first opportunity, Lady Enville began. "Of course you see now, Sir Thomas, how ill a match Master John Feversham should have been for Blanche." "Wherefore?" was the short answer. "Sith he is no longer the heir." [Sith and since are both contractions of sithence.] "Oh!--ah!" said Sir Thomas, as unpromisingly as before. "Why, surely you would ne'er dream of so monstrous a thing?" Sir Thomas, who had been looking out of the window, came across to the fire, and took up the master's position before it--standing just in the middle of the hearth with his back to the fire. "Better wait, Orige, and see whereof John and Blanche be dreaming," said he calmly. "What reckoneth he to do now, meet for livelihood?" It would be difficult to estimate the number of degrees by which poor John had fallen in her Ladyship's thermometer, since he had ceased to be the expected heir of Feversham Hall.