sper, said that she
had. "Staying with the Dales, I believe? I know the Dales well by
name, and I have always heard that they are charming people."

"I like them very much," said Grace. And then there was another
pause.

"I hope your husband is pretty well, Mrs. Crawley?" said Lady Lufton.

"He is pretty well,--not quite strong. I daresay you know, Lady
Lufton, that he has things to vex him?" Mrs. Crawley felt that it was
the need of the moment that the only possible subject of conversation
in that house should be introduced; and therefore she brought it in
at once, not loving the subject, but being strongly conscious of the
necessity. Lady Lufton meant to be good-natured, and therefore Mrs
Crawley would do all in her power to make Lady Lufton's mission easy
to her.

"Indeed yes," said her ladyship; "we do know that."

"We feel so much for you and Mr. Crawley," said Mrs. Robarts; "and
we are so sure that your sufferings are unmerited." This was not
discreet on the part of Mrs. Robarts, as she was the wife of one
of the clergymen who had been selected to form the commission of
inquiry; and so Lady Lufton told her on the way home.

"You are very kind," said Mrs. Crawley. "We must only bear it with
such fortitude as God will give us. We are told that He tempers the
wind to the shorn lamb."

"And so He does my dear," said the old lady, very solemnly. "So He
does. Surely you have felt that it is so?"

"I struggle not to complain," said Mrs. Crawley.

"I know that you struggle bravely. I hear of you, and I admire you
for it, and I love you." It was still the old lady who was speaking,
and now she had at last been roused out of her difficulty as to
words, and had risen from her chair, and was standing before Mrs
Crawley. "It is because you do not complain, because you are so great
and so good, because your character is so high, and your spirit so
firm, that I could not resist the temptation of coming to you. Mrs
Crawley, if you will let me be your friend, I shall be proud of your
friendship."

"Your ladyship is too good," said Mrs. Crawley.

"Do not talk to me after that fashion," said Lady Lufton. "If you do
I shall be disappointed, and feel myself thrown back. You know what
I mean." She paused for an answer; but Mrs. Crawley had no answer to
make. She simply shook her head, not knowing why she did so. But we
may know. We can understand that she had felt that the friendship
offered to her by Lady Lufton was an