True to it he resolved to be; and therefore, when he found that Mary was flown, he resolved to fly after her.
He did not, however, do this till he had been in a measure provoked to it by it by the sharp-tongued cautions and blunted irony of his mother.

It was not enough for her that she had banished Mary out of the parish, and made Dr Thorne's life miserable; not enough that she harassed her husband with harangues on the constant subject of Frank's marrying money, and dismayed Beatrice with invectives against the iniquity of her friend.

The snake was so but scotched; to kill it outright she must induce Frank utterly to renounce Miss Thorne.
This task she essayed, but not exactly with success.

"Well, mother," said Frank, at last turning very red, partly with shame, and partly with indignation, as he made the frank avowal, "since you press me about it, I tell you fairly that my mind is made up to marry Mary sooner or later, if--" "Oh, Frank! good heavens! you wicked boy; you are saying this purposely to drive me distracted." "If," continued Frank, not attending to his mother's interjections, "if she will consent." "Consent!" said Lady Arabella.

"Oh, heavens!" and falling into the corner of the sofa, she buried her face in her handkerchief.
"Yes, mother, if she will consent.