’Ishallowehimmorethanlove，andIwillpayhimmorethanlove，’
saidGrace。TherewassomethinginthetoneofhervoiceasshespokewhichmadeLilystopherandlookupintoherface。TherewasasmiletherewhichLilyhadneverseenbefore，andwhichgaveabeautytoherwhichwaswonderfultoLily’seyes。SurelythisloverofGrace’smusthaveseenasmilelikethat，andthereforehadlovedherandwasgivingsuchwonderfulproofofhislove。’Yes，’continuedGrace，standingandlookingatherfriend，’youmaystareatme，Lily，butyoumaybesurethatIwilldoforMajorGrantlyallthegoodthatIcandoforhim。’
’NevermindwhatImean。Youareveryimperiousinmanagingyourownaffairs，andyoumustletmebesoequallyinmine。’
’ButItellyoueverything。’
’Doyousupposethatif——if——ifinrealtruthitcanpossiblybethecasethatMajorGrantlyshallhavecomeheretooffermehishandwhenweallgrounddowninthedustasweare，doyouthinkthatIwilllethimsacrificehimself？Wouldyou？’
’Certainly。Whynot？Therewillbenosacrifice。Hewillbeaskingforthatwhichhewishestoget；andyouwillbeboundtogiveittohim。’
’Ifhewantsit，whereishisnobility？Ifitbeasyousay，hewillhaveshownhimselfnoble，andhisnobilitywillhaveconsistedinthis，thathehasbeenwillingtotakethatwhichhedoesnotwant，inorderthathemaysuccourtheonewhomheloves。IalsowillsuccouronewhomIlove，asbestIknowhow。’Thenshewalkedonquicklybeforeherfriend，andLilystoodforamomentthinkingbeforeshefollowedher。
Theywerenowonafield—path，bywhichtheywereenabledtoescapetheroadbacktoAllingtonforthegreaterpartofthedistance，andGracehadreachedastile，andhadclamberedoveritbeforeLilyhadcaughther。
’Youmustnotgoawaybyyourself，’saidLily。
’Idon’twishtogoawaybymyself。’
’Iwantyoutostopamomentandlistentome。Iamsureyouarewronginthis——wrongforbothyoursakes。Youbelievethathelovesyou？’
’Ithoughthedidonce；andifhehascomeheretoseeme，Isupposehedoesstill。’
’Ifthatbethecase，andyoualsolovehim——’
’Ido。Imakenomysteryaboutthattoyou。Idolovehimwithallmyheart。Ilovehimtoday，nowthatIbelievehimtobehere，andthatI
supposeIshallseehim，perhapsthisveryafternoon。AndIlovedhimyesterday，whenIthoughtthatIshouldneverseehimagain。Idolovehim。Ido。IlovehimsowellthatIwillneverdohimaninjury。’
’Thatbeingso，ifhemakesyouanofferyouareboundtoacceptit。I
donotthinkthatyouhaveanalternative。’
’Ihaveanalternative，andIshalluseit。Whydon’tyoutakemycousinJohn？’
’BecauseIlikesomebodyelsebetter。Ifyouhavegotasgoodareason，Iwon’tsayanotherwordtoyou。’
’Andwhydon’tyoutakethatotherperson？’
’BecauseIcannottrusthislove；thatiswhy。Itisnotverykindofyou，openingmysoresafresh，whenIamtryingtohealyours。’
’Oh，Lily，Iamunkind——unkindtoyou，whohavebeensogeneroustome？’
’I’llforgiveyouallthatandadealmoreifyouwillonlylistentomeandtrytotakemyadvice。Becausethismajorofyoursdoesagenerousthing，whichisforthegoodofyouboth——theinfinitegoodofbothofyou——youaretoemulatehisgenerositybydoingathingwhichwillbeforthegoodofneitherofyou。Thatisaboutit。Yes，itis，Grace。Youcannotdoubtthathehasbeenmeaningthisforsometimepast；andofcourse，ifhelooksuponyouashisown——andIdaresay，ifthewholetruthistobetold，hedoes——’
’ButIamnothisown。’
’Yesyouare，inonesense；youhavejustsaidsowithagreatdealofenergy。Andifitisso——letmesee，wherewasI？’
’Oh，Lily，youneednotmindwhereyouwere。’
’ButIdomind，andIhatetobeinterruptedinmyarguments。Yes，justthat。Ifhesawhiscowsick，he’dtrytodoctorthecowinhersickness。Heseesthatyouaresick，andofcoursehecomestoyourrelief。’
’IamnotMajorGrantly’scow。’
’Yes，youare。’
’Norhisdog，norhisox，norhisass，noranythingthatishis，except——except，Lily，thedearestfriendthathehasonthefaceoftheearth。HecannothaveafriendthatwillgonofurtherforhimthanI
will。HewillneverknowhowfarIwillgotoservehim。Youdon’tknowhispeople。NordoIknowthem。ButIknowwhattheyare。Hissisterismarriedtoamarquis。’
’Whathasthattodowithit？’saidLily，sharply。’Ifsheweremarriedtoanarchduke，whatdifferencewouldthatmake？’
’Andtheyareproudpeople——allofthem——andrich；andtheylivewithhighpersonsintheworld。’
’Ididn’tcarethoughtheylivedwiththeroyalfamily，andhadthePrinceofWalesfortheirbosomfriend。Itonlyshowshowmuchbetterheisthantheyare。’
’Butthinkofwhatmyfamilyis——howwearesituated。WhenmyfatherwassimplypoorIdidnotcareaboutit，becausehehasbeenbornandbredagentleman。Butnowheisdisgraced。Yes，Lily，heis。Iamboundtosayso，atanyratetomyself，whenIamthinkingofMajorGrantly；
andIwillnotcarrythatdisgraceintoafamilywhichwouldfeelitsokeenlyastheywoulddo。’Lily，however，wentonwithherarguments，andwasstillarguingwhentheyturnedthecornerofthelane，andcameuponLily’suncleandthemajorhimself。
CHAPTERXXX
SHOWINGWHATMAJORGRANTLYDIDAFTERHISWALK
IngoingdownfromthechurchtotheSmallHouseLilyDalehadalltheconversationtoherself。Duringsomeportionofthewaythepathwasonlybroadenoughfortwoperson，andherMajorGrantlywalkedbyLily’sside，whileGracefollowedthem。Thentheyfoundtheirwayintothehouse，andLilymadeherlittlespeechtohermotheraboutcatchingthemajor。’Yes，mydear，IhaveseenMajorGrantlybefore，’saidMrsDale。
’Isupposehehasmetyouontheroad。ButIdidnotexpectthatanyofyouwouldhavereturnedsosoon。’Somelittleexplanationfollowedastothesquire，andastoMajorGrantly’swalk，andafterthatthegreatthingwastoleavethetwoloversalone。’Youwilldinehere，ofcourse，MajorGrantly，’MrsDalesaid。Butthishedeclined。Hehadlearned，hesaid，thattherewasanight—trainuptoLondon，andhethoughtthathewouldreturntotownbythat。Hehadintended，whenheleftLondontogetbackthereassoonaspossible。ThenMrsDale，havinghesitatedfortwoorthreeseconds，gotupandlefttheroom，andLilyfollowed。’Itseemsveryoddandabrupt，’saidMrsDaletoherdaughter，’butI
supposeitisbest。’’Ofcourse，itisbest，mamma。Doasonewouldbedoneby——that’stheonlyrule。Itwillbemuchbetterforherthatsheshouldhaveitover。’
Gracewasseatedonasofa，andMajorGrantlygotupfromhischair，andcameandstoodoppositetoher。’Grace，’hesaid，’Ihopeyouarenotangrywithmeforcomingdowntoseeyouhere。’
’No，Iamnotangry，’shesaid。
’Ihavethoughtagreatdealaboutit，andyourfriend，MissPrettyman，knewthatIwascoming。Shequiteapprovesofmycoming。’
’Shehaswrittentome，butdidnottellmeofit，’saidGrace，notknowingwhatotheranswertomake。
’No——shecouldnothavedonethat。Shehadnoauthority。Ionlymentionhernamebecauseitwillhaveweightwithyou，andbecauseI
havenotdonethatwhich，underthecircumstances，perhaps，Ishouldhavebeenboundtodo。Ihavenotseenyourfather。’
’Poorpapa，’saidGrace。
’IhavefeltthatatthepresentmomentIcouldnotdosowithanysuccess。Ithasnotcomeofanywantofrespecteitherforhimorforyou。Ofcourse，Grace，youknowwhyIamhere。’Hepaused，andthen，rememberingthathehadnorighttoexpectananswertosuchaquestion，hecontinued，’Ihavecomehere，dearestGrace，toaskyoutobemywife，andtobeamothertoEdith。IknowthatyouloveEdith。’
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