CHAPTERXXVIII
SHOWINGHOWMAJORGRANTLYTOOKAWALK
MajorGrantlydrovehisgigintotheyardofthe’RedLion’atAllington，andfromthencewalkedawayatoncetoMrsDale’shouse。Whenhereachedthevillagehehadhardlymadeuphismindasthewayinwhichhewouldbeginhisattack；butnow，ashewentdownthestreet，heresolvedthathewouldfirstaskforMrsDale。MostprobablyhewouldfindhimselfinthepresentofMrsDaleandherdaughter，andofGracealso，athisfirstentrance；andifso，hispositionwouldbeawkwardenough。HealmostregrettednowthathehadnotwrittentoMrsDale，andaskedforaninterview。Histaskwouldbeverydifficultifheshouldfindalltheladiestogether。ButhewasstrongenoughinthefeelingthatwhenhispurposewastolditwouldmeettheapprovalatanyrateofMrsDale；andhewalkedboldlyon，andbravelyknockedatthedooroftheSmallHouse，ashehadalreadylearnedthatMrsDale’sresidencewascalledbytheneighbourhood。Nobodywasathome，theservantsaid；andthen，whenthevisitorbegantomakefurtherinquiry，thegirlexplainedthatthetwoyoungladieshadwalkedasfarasGuestwickCottage，andthatMrsDalewasatthismomentattheGreatHousewiththesquire。Shehadgoneacrosssoonaftertheyoungladieshadstarted。Themaid，however，wasinterruptedbeforeshehadfinishedtellingallthistothemajor，byfindinghermistressbehindherinthepassage。MrsDalehadreturned，andhadenteredthehousefromthelawn。
’Iamherenow，Jane，’saidMrsDale，’ifthegentlemanwishestoseeme。’
Thenthemajorannouncedhimself。’MynameisMajorGrantly，’saidhe；
andhewasblunderingonwithsomewordsabouthisownintrusion，whenMrsDalebeggedhimtofollowherintothedrawing—room。HehadmutteredsomethingtotheeffectthatMrsDalewouldnotknowwhohewas；butMrsDaleknewallabouthim，andhadheardthewholeofGrace’sstoryfromLily。SheandLilyhadoftendiscussedthequestionwhether，underexistingcircumstances，MajorGrantlyshouldfeelhimselfboundtoofferhishandtoGrace，andthemotheranddaughterhaddifferedsomewhatonthematter。MrsDalehadheldthathewasnotsobound，urgingthattheunfortunatepositioninwhichMrCrawleywasplacedwassocalamitoustoallconnectedwithhim，astojustifyanyman，notabsolutelyengaged，inabandoningthethoughtsofsuchamarriage。MrsDalehadspokenofMajorGrantly’sfatherandmotherandbrotherandsister，andhaddeclaredheropinionthattheywereentitledtoconsideration。ButLilyhadopposedthisideaverystoutly，assertingthatinanaffairofloveamanshouldthinkneitheroffatherorbrotherofmotherorsister。’Ifheisworthanything，’Lilyhadsaid，’hewillcometohernow——inhertrouble；andwilltellherthatsheatleasthasgotafriendwhowillbetruetoher。Ifhedoesthat，thenIshallthinkthatthereissomethingofthepoetryandnoblenessofloveleft。’InanswertothisMrsDalehadrepliedthatwomenhadorighttoexpectfrommensuchself—denyingnobilityasthat。’Idon’texpectit，mamma，’saidLily。
’AndIamsurethatGracedoesnot。IndeedIamquitesurethatGracedoesnotexpecteventoseehimeveragain。Sheneversaysso，butI
knowthatshehasmadeuphermindaboutit。StillIthinkheoughttocome。’’Itcanhardlybethatamanisboundtodoathing，thedoingofwhich，asyouconfess，wouldbealmostmorethannoble，’saidMrsDale。
Andsothematterhadbeendiscussedbetweenthem。Butnow，asitseemedtoMrsDale，themanhadcometodothenoblething。Atanyratehewasthereinherdrawing—room，andbeforeeitherofthemhadsatdownhehadcontrivedtomentionGrace。’Youmaynotprobablyhaveheardmyname，’
hesaid，’butIamacquaintedwithyourfriend，GraceCrawley。’
’Iknowyournameverywell，MajorGrantly。Mybrother—in—lawwholivesdownyonder，MrDale，knowsyourfatherverywell——orhedidsomeyearsago。AndIhaveheardhimsaythatheremembersyou。’
’Irecollect。HeusedtobestayingatUllathorne。Butthatisalongtimeago。Isheathomenow？’
’MrDaleisalmostalwaysathome。Heveryrarelygoesaway，andIamsurewouldbegladtoseeyou。’
Thentherewasalittlepauseintheconversation。Theyhadmanagedtoseatthemselves，andMrsDalehadsaidenoughtoputhervisitorfairlyathisease。Ifhehadanythingspecialtosaytoher，hemustsayit——anyrequestorpropositiontomakeastoGraceCrawley，hemustmakeit。Andhedidmakeitatonce。’MyobjectincomingtoAllington，’hesaid，’wastoseeMissCrawley。’
’Sheandmydaughterhavetakenalongwalktocallonafriend，andI
amafraidtheywillstayforlunch；buttheywillcertainlybehomebetweenthreeandfour，ifthatisnottoolongforyoutoremainatAllington。’
’Oh，dear，no，’saidhe。’Itwillnothurtmetowait。’
’Itcertainlywillnothurtme，MajorGrantly。Perhapsyouwilllunchwithme？’
’I’lltellyouwhat，MrsDale；ifyou’llpermitme，I’llexplaintoyouwhyIhavecomehere。Indeed，Ihaveintendedtodosoallthrough，andIcanonlyaskyoutokeepmysecret，ifafterallitshouldrequiretobekept。’
’Iwillcertainlykeepanysecretthatyoumayaskmetokeep，’saidMrsDale，takingoffherbonnet。
’Ihopetheremaybenoneedofone，’saidMajorGrantly。’Thetruthis，MrsDale，thatIhaveknownGraceCrawleyforsometime——nearlyfortwoyearsnow，and——Imayaswellspeakitoutatonce——Ihavemadeupmymindtoaskhertobemywife。ThatiswhyIamhere。’Consideringthenatureofthestatement，whichmusthavebeenembarrassing，Ithinkthatitwasmadewithfluencyandsimplicity。
’Ofcourse，MajorGrantly，youknowthatIhavenoauthoritywithouryoungfriend，’saidMrsDale。’Imeanthatsheisnotconnectedwithusbyfamilyties。Shehasafatherandmother，living，asIbelieve，inthesamecountyasyourself。’
’Iknowthat，MrsDale。’
’Andyoumay，perhaps，understandthat，asMissCrawleyisnowstayingwithme，Ioweitinameasuretoherfriendstoaskyouwhethertheyareawareofyourintention。’
’Theyarenotawareofit。’
’Iknowthatatthepresentmomenttheyareingreattrouble。’
MrsDalewasgoingon，butshewasinterruptedbyMajorGrantly。’Thatisjustit，’hesaid。’TherearecircumstancesatpresentwhichmakeitalmostimpossiblethatIshouldgotoMrCrawleyandaskhispermissiontoaddresshisdaughter。Idonotknowwhetheryouhaveheardthewholestory？’
’Asmuch，Ibelieve，asGracecouldtellme。’
’Heis，Ibelieve，insuchastateofmentaldistressastobehardlycapableofgivingmeaconsiderateanswer。AndIshouldnotknowhowtospeaktohim，orhownottospeaktohim，aboutthisunfortunateaffair。
But，MrsDale，youwill，Ithink，perceivethatthesamecircumstancesmakeitimperativeuponmetobeexplicittoMissCrawley。IthinkIamthelastmantoboastofawoman’sregard，butIhadlearnedtothinkthatIwasnotindifferenttoGrace。Ifthatbeso，whatmustshethinkofmeifIstayawayfromhernow？’
’Sheunderstandstoowelltheweightofthemisfortunewhichhasfallenuponherfather，tosupposethatanyonenotconnectedwithhercanbeboundtoshareit。’
’Thatisjustit。ShewillthinkthatIamsilentforthatreason。I
havedeterminedthatthatshallnotkeepmesilent，and，therefore，I
havecomehere。Imay，perhaps，beabletobringcomforttoherinhertrouble。Asregardsmyworldlyposition——though，indeed，itwillnotbeverygood——ashersisnotgoodeither，youwillnotthinkyourselfboundtoforbidmetoseeheronthathead。’
’Certainlynot。IneedhardlysaythatIfullyunderstandthat，asregardsmoney，youareofferingeverythingwhereyoucangetnothing。’
’Andyouunderstandmyfeeling？’
’IndeedIdo——andappreciatethegreatnobilityofyourloveforGrace。
Youshallseeherhere，ifyouwishit——andtoday，ifyouchoosetowait。’MajorGrantlysaidthathewouldwaitandwouldseeGraceonthatafternoon。MrsDaleagainsuggestedthatheshouldlunchwithher，butthishedeclined。Shethenproposedthatheshouldgoacrossandcalluponthesquire，andthusconsumehistime。Buttothishealsoobjected。Hewasnotexactlyinhumour，hesaid，torenewsooldandsoslightanacquaintan...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：