’Butwhynot，dearGrace？’saidMrsDale。
’Becausethepeoplesaythatpapaisathief！’Havingsaidthis，Gracewalkedslowlyoutoftheroom，andneitherMrsDalenorLilyattemptedtofollowher。
’She’sasgoodasgold，’saidLily，whenthedoorwasclosed。
’Andhe；——whatofhim？’
’Ithinkheisgoodtoo；butshehastoldmenothingyetofwhathehassaidtoher。Hemustbegood，orhewouldnothavecomedownhereafterher。ButIdon’twonderathiscoming，becausesheissobeautiful！Onceortwiceaswewerewalkingbacktoday，IthoughtherfacewasthemostlovelythatIhadeverseen。Anddidyouseeherjustnow，asshespokeofherfather？’
’Oh，yes；——Isawher。’
’Thinkwhatshewillbeintwoorthreeyears’time，whenhebecomesawoman。ShetalksFrench，andItalian，andHebrewforanythingthatI
know；andsheisperfectlybeautiful。Ineversawamorelovelyfigure；——andshehasspiritenoughforagoddess。Idon’tthinkthatMajorGrantlyissuchafoolafterall。’
’Inevertookhimforafool。’
’Ihavenodoubtallhisownpeopledo；——ortheywill，whentheyhearofit。But，mamma，shewillgrowtobebigenoughtowalkatopalltheLadyHartletopsinEngland。Itwillallcomerightatlast。’
’Youthinkitwill？’
’Oh，yes。Whyshoulditnot？Ifheisworthhaving，itwill；——andI
thinkheisworthhaving。Hemustwaittillthishorridtrialisover。
ItiscleartomethatGracethinksherfatherwillbeconvicted。’
’Buthecannothavetakenthemoney。’
’Ithinkhetookit，andIthinkitwasn’this。ButIdon’tthinkhestoleit。Idon’tknowwhetheryoucanunderstandthedifference。’
’Iamafraidajurywon’tunderstandit。’
’Ajuryofmenwillnot。Iwishtheycouldputyouandmeonit，mamma。
Iwouldtakemybestbootsandeatthemdowntotheheels，forGrace’ssake，andforMajorGrantly’s。Whatagood—lookingmanheis！’
’Yes，heis。’
’Andsolikeagentleman！I’lltellyouwhat，mamma；wewon’tsayanythingtoherabouthimforthepresent。Herheartwillbesofullshewillbedriventotalk，andwecancomfortherbetterinthatway。’ThemotheranddaughteragreedtoactuponthesetacticsandnothingmorewassaidtoGraceaboutherloveronthatevening。
MajorGrantlywalkedfromMrsDale’shousetotheinnandorderedhisgig，anddrovehimselfoutofAllington，almostwithoutrememberingwherehewasorwhitherhewasgoing。Hewasthinkingsolelyofwhathadjustoccurred，andofwhat，onhispart，shouldfollowastheresultofthatmeeting。Halfatleastofthenobledeedsdoneinthisworldareduetoemulation，ratherthantothenativenobilityoftheactors。A
youngmanleadsaforlornhopebecauseanotheryoungmanhasofferedtodoso。Jonesinthehunting—fieldridesatanimpracticablefencebecauseheistoldSmithtookitthreeyearsago。AndWalkerputshisnamedownfortenguineasatacharitabledinnerwhenhehearsThompson’sreadoutforfive。Andinthiscasethegenerosityandself—denialshownbyGracewarmedandcherishedsimilarvirtueswithinherlover’sbreast。SomefewweeksagoMajorGrantlyhadbeenindoubtastowhathisdutyrequiredofhiminreferencetoGraceCrawley；buthehadnodoubtwhatsoevernow。Inthefervourofhisadmirationhewouldhavegonestraighttothearchdeacon，haditbeenpossible，andhavetoldhimwhathehaddoneandwhatheintendedtodo。Nothingnowshouldstophim；——noconsideration，thatis，eitherasregardedmoneyorposition。Hehadpledgedhimselfsolemnly，andhewasverygladthathehadpledgedhimself。HewouldwritetoGraceandexplaintoherthathetrustedaltogetherinherfather’shonourandinnocence，butthatnoconsiderationastothatoughttoinfluenceeitherhimorherinanyway。If，independentlyofherfather，shecouldbringherselftocometohimandbehiswife，shewasboundtodosonow，letthepositionofherfatherbewhatitmight。Andthus，ashedrovehisgigbacktowardsGuestwick，hecomposedaveryprettylettertotheladyofhislove。
Andashewent，atthecornerofthelanewhichledfromthemainroaduptoGuestwickcottage，heagaincameuponJohnEames，whowasalsoreturningtoGuestwick。TherehadbeenafewwordsspokenbetweenLadyJuliaandJohnnyrespectingMajorGrantlyafterthegirlshadleftthecottage，andJohnnyhadbeenpersuadedthatthestrangevisitortoAllingtoncouldhavenoconnexionwithhisarch—enemy。’AndwhyhashegonetoAllington，’Johndemanded，somewhatsternly，ofhishostess。
’Well；ifyouaskme，Ithinkhehasgonetheretoseeyourcousin，GraceCrawley。’
’HetoldmethatheknewGrace，’saidJohn，lookingasthoughhewereconsciousofhisowningenuityinputtingtwoandtwotogetherverycleverly。
’YourcousinGraceisaveryprettygirl，’saidLadyJulia。
’It’salongtimesinceI’veseenher，’saidJohnny。
’Why，yousawherjustthislastminute，’saidLadyJulia。
’Ididn’tlookather，’saidJohnny。Therefore，whenheagainmetMajorGrantly，havingcontinuedtoputtwoandtwotogetherwithgreatingenuity，hefeltquitesurethatthemanhadnothingtodowiththearch—enemy，andhedeterminedtobegracious。’DidyoufindthemathomeatAllington，’hesaid，raisinghishat。
’Howdoyoudoagain？’saidthemajor。’Yes，IfoundyourfriendMrsDaleathome。’
’Butnotherdaughter，ormycousin？Theywereupthere；——whereI’vecomefrom。But，perhaps，theyhadgotbackbeforeyouleft。’
’Isawthemboth。TheyfoundmeontheroadwithMrDale。’
’What——thesquire？Thenyouhaveseeneverybody。’
’EverybodyIwishedtoseeatAllington。’
’Butyouwouldn’tstayatthe"RedLion"？’
’Well，no。IrememberedthatIwantedtogetbacktoLondon；andasI
hadseenmyfriends，IthoughtImightaswellhurryaway。’
’YouknewMrsDalebefore，then？’
’No，Ididn’t。Ineversawherinmylifebefore。ButIknewtheoldsquirewhenIwasaboy。However，Ishouldhavesaidfriend。Iwenttoseeonefriend，andIsawher。’
JohnEamesperceivedthathiscompanionputastrongemphasisontheword’her’，asthoughheweredeterminedtodeclareboldlythathehadgonetoAllingtonsolelytoseeGraceCrawley。HehadnottheslightestobjectiontorecognisinginMajorGrantlyasuitorforhiscousin’shand。HecouldonlyreflectwhatanunusuallyfortunategirlGracemustbeifsuchathingcouldbetrue。OfthosepoorCrawleyshehadonlyheardfromtimetotimethattheirmisfortuneswereasnumerousasthesandsonthesea—shore，andasunsusceptibleofanyfixedandpermanentarrangement。But，asregardedGrace，therewouldbeaverypermanentarrangement。TidingshadreachedhimthatGracewasagreatscholar，buthehadneverheardmuchofherbeauty。ItmustprobablybethecasethatMajorGrantlywasfondofGreek。Therewas，heremindedhimself，noaccountingfortastes；butasnothingcouldbemorerespectablethansuchanalliance，hethoughtthatitwouldbecomehimtobeciviltothemajor。
’Ihopeyoufoundherquitewell。Ihadbarelytimetospeaktohermyself。’
’Yes，shewasverywell。Thisisasadthingaboutherfather。’
’Verysad，’saidJohnny。Perhapsthemajorhadheardabouttheaccusationforthefirsttimetoday，andwasgoingtofindanescapeonthatplea。Ifsuchwasthecase，itwouldnotbesowelltobeparticularlycivil。
’IbelieveMrCrawleyisacousinofyours？’saidthemajor。
’Hiswifeismymother’sfirst—cousin。Theremothersweresisters。’
’Sheisanexcellentwoman。’
’Ibelieveso。Idon’tknowmuchaboutthemmyself——thatis，personally。OfcourseIhaveheardofthischargethathasbeenmadeagainsthim。Itseemstometobeagreatshame。’
’Well，Ican’texactlysaythatitisashame。Idonotknowthattherehasbeenanythingdonewithafeelingofpersecutionorofcruelty。Itisagreatmystery，andwemusthaveitclearedupifwecan。’
’Idon’tsupposehecanhavebeenguilty，’saidJohn。
’Certainlynotintheordinarysenseofthew...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：