The doctor did not require to be told all this in order to know how the battle had raged.

He had not yet heard of the great Dunstable scheme; but he was sufficiently acquainted with Greshamsbury tactics to understand that the war had been carried on somewhat after this fashion.
As a rule, when the squire took a point warmly to heart, he was wont to carry his way against the de Courcy interest.

He could be obstinate enough when it so pleased him, and had before now gone so far as to tell his wife, that her thrice-noble sister-in-law might remain at home at Courcy Castle--or, at any rate, not come to Greshamsbury--if she could not do so without striving to rule him and every one else when she got here.

This had of course been repeated to the countess, who had merely replied to it by a sisterly whisper, in which she sorrowfully intimated that some men were born brutes, and always would remain so.
"I think they all are," the Lady Arabella had replied; wishing, perhaps, to remind her sister-in-law that the breed of brutes was as rampant in West Barsetshire as in the eastern division of the county.
The squire, however, had not fought on this occasion with all his vigour.

There had, of course, been some passages between him and his son, and it had been agreed that Frank should go for a fortnight to Courcy Castle.
"We mustn't quarrel with them, you know, if we can help it," said the father; "and, therefore, you must go sooner or later." "Well, I suppose so; but you don't know how dull it is, governor." "Don't I!" said Gresham.
"There's a Miss Dunstable to be there; did you ever hear of her, sir ?" "No, never." "She's a girl whose father used to make ointment, or something of that sort." "Oh, yes, to be sure; the ointment of Lebanon.