Nevertheless，thearchdeaconthoughthimselftobehardlyusedwhenhefoundMrsRobartswasatthehouse。
’Mydeararchdeacon，whoeverexpectedtoseeyou？’saidoldLadyLufton。Thenthetwoyoungerwomengreetedhim。Andtheyallsmiledonhimpleasantly，andseemedoverjoyedtoseehim。Hewas，intruth，agreatfavouriteatFramley，andeachofthethreewasgladtowelcomehim。TheybelievedinthearchdeaconatFramley，andfeltforhimthatsortoflovewhichladiesinthecountrydofeelfortheirelderlymalefriends。Therewasnotoneofthethreewhowouldnothavetakenmuchtroubletogetanythingforthearchdeaconwhichtheyhadthoughtthearchdeaconwouldlike。EvenoldLadyLuftonrememberedwhatwashisfavouritesoup，andalwaystookcarethatheshouldhaveitwhenhedinedattheCourt。YoungLadyLuftonwouldbringhisteatohimashesatinhischair。Hewaspettedinthehouse，wasallowedtopokethefireifhepleased，andcalledtheservantsbytheirnamesasthoughhewereathome。Hewascompelled，therefore，tosmileandtoseempleased；
anditwasnottillafterhehadeatenhislunch，andhaddeclaredthathemustreturnhometodinner，thatthedowagergavehimanopportunityofhavingtheprivateconversationwhichhedesired。
’CanIhaveafewminutes’talkwithyou？’hesaidtoher，whisperingintoherearastheyleftthedrawing—roomtogether。Sosheledthewayintoherownsitting—room，tellinghim，assheaskedhimtobeseated，thatshesupposedthatsomethingspecialmusthavebroughthimovertoFramley。’Ishouldhaveaskedyoutocomeuphere，evenifyouhadnotspoken。’
’Thenperhapsyouknowwhathasbroughtmeover？’saidthearchdeacon。
’Notintheleast，’saidLadyLufton。’Ihavenotanidea。ButIdidnotflattermyselfthatyouwouldcomesofaronamorningcalltoseeusthreeladies。IhopeyoudidnotwanttoseeLudovic，becausehewillnotbebacktilltomorrow。’
’Iwantedtoseeyou，LadyLufton。’
’Thatislucky，ashereIam。Youmaybeprettysuretofindmehereanydayintheyear。’
Afterthistherewasalittlepause。Thearchdeaconhardlyknewhowtobeginhisstory。InthefirstplacehewasindoubtwhetherLadyLuftonhadeverheardofthepreposterousmatchwhichhissonhadproposedtohimselftomake。InhisangeratPlumsteadhehadfeltsurethatsheknewallaboutit，andthatshewasassistinghisson。Butthisbeliefhaddwindledashisangerhaddwindled；andasthechaisehadenteredtheparishofFramleyhehadtoldhimselfthatitwasquiteimpossiblethatsheshouldknowanythingaboutit。Hermannerhadcertainlybeenaltogetherinherfavoursincehehadbeeninherhouse。Therehadbeennothingoftheconsciousnessofguiltinherdemeanour。But，nevertheless，therewasthecoincidence！HowhaditcometopassthatGraceCrawleyandhissonshouldbeatFramleytogether？Itmight，indeed，bejustpossiblethatFlurrymighthavebeenwrong，andthathissonhadnotbeenthereatall。
’IsupposeMissCrawleyisattheparsonage？’hesaidatlast。
’Oh，yes；sheisstillthere，andwillremainthereIshouldthinkforthenexttendays。’
’Oh；Ididnotknow，’saidthearchdeaconverycoldly。
ItseemedtoLadyLufton，whowasasinnocentasanunbornbabeinthematteroftheprojectedmarriage，thatheroldfriendwasinamindtopersecutetheCrawleys。HehadonaformeroccasiontakenuponhimselftoadvisethatGraceCrawleyshouldnotbeentertainedatFramley，andnowitseemedthathehadcomeallthewayfromPlumsteadtosaysomethingfurtherinthesamestrain。LadyLufton，ifhadanythingfurthertosayofthatkind，wouldlistentohimasamatterofcourse。
Shewouldlistentohimandreplytohimwithouttemper。Butshedidnotapproveofit。Shetoldherselfsilentlythatshedidnotapproveofpersecutionorofinterference。Shethereforedrewherselfup，andpursedhermouth，andputonsomethingofthatlookofseveritywhichshecouldassumeveryvisibly，ifitsopleasedher。
’Yes；sheisstillthere，andIthinkhervisitwilldoheragreatdealofgood，’saidLadyLufton。
’Whenwetalkofdoinggoodtopeople，’saidthearchdeacon，’weoftenmaketerriblemistakes。Itsooftenhappensthatwedon’tknowwhenwearedoinggoodandwhenwearedoingharm。’
’Thatistrue，ofcourse，DrGrantly，andmustbesonecessarily，asourwisdomherebelowissoverylimited。ButIshouldthink——asfarasI
cansee，thatis，——thatthekindnesswhichmyfriendMrsRobartsisshowingtothisyoungladymustbebeneficial。Youknow，archdeacon，I
explainedtoyoubeforethatIcouldnotquiteagreewithyouinwhatyousaidastoleavingthesepeoplealonetillafterthetrial。I
thoughtthathelpwasnecessarytothematonce。’
Thearchdeaconsigheddeeply。HeoughttohavebeensomewhatrenovatedinspiritbythetoneinwhichLadyLuftonspoketohim，asitconveyedtohimalmostanabsoluteconvictionthathisfirstsuspicionwasincorrect。Butanycomfortwhichmighthavecometohimfromthissourcewasmarredbythefeelingthathemustannouncehisowndisgrace。Atanyrate，hemustdoso，unlesshewerecontentedtogobacktoPlumsteadwithouthavinglearnedanythingbyhisjourney。Hechangedthetoneofhisvoice，however，andaskedaquestion——asitmightbealtogetheronadifferentsubject。’Iheardyesterday，’hesaid，’thatHenrywasoverhere。’
’Hewashereyesterday。Hecametheeveningbefore，anddinedandslepthere，andwenthomeyesterdaymorning。’
’WasMissCrawleywithyouthatevening？’
’MissCrawley？No；shewouldnotcome。Shethinksitbestnottogooutwhileherfatherisinhispresentunfortunateposition；andsheisright。’
’Sheisquiterightinthat，’saidthearchdeacon；andthenhepausedagain。Hethoughtthatitwouldbebestforhimtomakeacleanbreastofit，andtotrustLadyLufton’ssympathy。’DidHenrygouptotheparsonage？’heasked。
ButstillLadyLuftondidnotsuspectthetruth。’Ithinkhedid，’shereplied，withanairofsurprise。’IthinkIheardthathewentuptheretocallonMrsRobartsafterbreakfast。’
’No，LadyLufton，hedidnotgouptheretocallonMrsRobarts。HewentuptherebecauseheismakingafoolofhimselfaboutthatMissCrawley。
Thatisthetruth。Nowyouunderstanditall。IhopethatMrsRobartsdoesnotknowit。IdohopeforherownsakethatMrsRobartsdoesnotknowit。’
ThearchdeaconcertainlyhadnolongeranydoubtastoLadyLufton’sinnocencewhenhelookedatherfaceassheheardthesetidings。ShehadpredictedthatGraceCrawleywould’makehavoc’，andcouldnot，therefore，bealtogethersurprisedattheideathatsomegentlemanshouldhavefalleninlovewithher；butshehadneversuspectedthatthehavocmightbemadesoearlyinherdays，oronsogreataquarry。
’Youdon’tmeantotellmethatHenryGrantlyisinlovewithGraceCrawley？’shereplied。
’Imeantosaythathesaysheis。’
’Dear，dear，dear！I’msure，archdeacon，thatyouwillbelievemewhenIsaythatIknewnothingaboutit。’
’Iamquitesureofthat，’saidthearchdeacondolefully。
’OrIcertainlyshouldnothavebeengladtoseehimhere。Butthehouse，youknow，isnotmine，DrGrantly。IcouldhavedonenothingifI
hadknownofit。Butonlytothink——；well，tobesure。Shehaslostnotime，atanyrate。’
Nowthiswasnotatallthelightinwhichthearchdeaconwishedthatthemattershouldberegarded。HehadbeendesirousthatLadyLuftonshouldbehorror—strickenbythetidings，butitseemedtohimthatsheregardedtheiniquityasagoodjoke。Whatdiditmatterhowyoungorhowoldthegirlmightbe？Shecameofpoorpeople——ofpeoplewhohadnofriends——ofdisgracedpeople；andLadyLuftonoughttofeelthatsuchamarriagewouldbeaterriblecrime。’Ineedhardlytellyou，LadyLufton，’saidthearchdeacon，’thatIshallsetmyfaceagainstitasfarasitisinmypowertodoso。’
’IftheybothberesolvedIsupposeyoucanhardlypreventit。’
’OfcourseIcannotpreventit。OfcourseIcannotpreventit。Ifhewillbreakmyheartandhismother’s——andhissister’s——ofcourseI
cannotpreventit。Ifhewillruinhimselfhemusthavehisownway。’
’Ruinhimself，DrGrantly！’
’Theywillhaveenoughtoliveupon——somewhereinSpainorFrance。’Thescornexpressedinthearchdeacon’svoiceashespokeofPauasbeingsomewhereinSpainorFrance’shouldhavebeenheardtobeunderstood。
’Nodoubttheywillhaveenoughtoliveupon。’
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