TheyoungcurateofIvellstillheldaloof，tantalizingFrancesbyhiselusiveness。Plainlyhewaswaitinguponevents。Millborneborethereproachesofhiswifeanddaughteralmostinsilence；butbydegreeshegrewmeditative，asifrevolvinganewidea。ThebittercryaboutblightingtheirexistenceatlengthbecamesoimpassionedthatonedayMillbornecalmlyproposedtoreturnagaintothecountry；notnecessarilytoExonbury，but，iftheywerewilling，toalittleoldmanor-housewhichhehadfoundwastobelet，standingamilefromMr。Cope’stownofIvell。
Theyweresurprised，and，despitetheirviewofhimasthebringerofill，weredisposedtoaccede。’ThoughIsuppose，’saidMrs。
Millbornetohim，’itwillendinMr。Cope’saskingyouflatlyaboutthepast，andyourbeingcompelledtotellhim；whichmaydashallmyhopesforFrances。Shegetsmoreandmorelikeyoueveryday，particularlywhensheisinabadtemper。Peoplewillseeyoutogether，andnoticeit；andIdon’tknowwhatmaycomeofit!’
’Idon’tthinktheywillseeustogether，’hesaid；butheenteredintonoargumentwhensheinsistedotherwise。Theremovalwaseventuallyresolvedon；thetown-housewasdisposedof；andagaincametheinvasionbyfurniture-menandvans，tillallthemovablesandservantswerewhiskedaway。Hesenthiswifeanddaughtertoanhotelwhilethiswasgoingon，takingtwoorthreejourneyshimselftoIvelltosuperintendtherefixing，andtheimprovementofthegrounds。Whenallwasdonehereturnedtothemintown。
Thehousewasreadyfortheirreception，hetoldthem，andthereonlyremainedthejourney。Heaccompaniedthemandtheirpersonalluggagetothestationonly，having，hesaid，toremainintownashorttimeonbusinesswithhislawyer。Theywent，dubiousanddiscontented——