he
world without troubling anybody." Then the squire spoke to Bernard
about it, saying that he should insist on defraying his niece's
expenses. But Bernard swore that he should give his uncle no
assistance. "I would not speak to her about such a thing for all the
world," said Bernard. "Then I shall," said the squire.

In those days Lily thought much of Johnny Eames,--gave to him perhaps
more of that thought which leads to love than she had ever given him
before. She still heard the Crawley question discussed every day. Mrs
Thorne, as we all know, was at this time a Barsetshire personage,
and was of course interested in Barsetshire subjects; and she was
specially anxious in the matter, having strong hopes with reference
to the marriage of Major Grantly and Grace, and strong hopes also
that Grace's father might escape the fangs of justice. The Crawley
case was constantly in Lily's ears, and as constantly she heard high
praise awarded to Johnny for his kindness in going after the Arabins.
"He must be a fine young fellow," said Mrs. Thorne, "and we'll have
him down at Chaldicotes some day. Old Lord De Guest found him out and
made a friend of him, and old Lord De Guest was no fool." Lilly was
not altogether free from a suspicion that Mrs. Thorne knew the story
of Johnny's love and was trying to serve Johnny,--as other people had
tried to do, very ineffectually. When this suspicion came upon her
she would shut her heart against her lover's praises, and swear that
she would stand by those two letters which she had written in her
book at home. But the suspicion would not always be there, and there
did come upon her a conviction that her lover was more esteemed among
men and women than she had been accustomed to believe. Her cousin,
Bernard Dale, who certainly was regarded in the world as somebody,
spoke of him as his equal; whereas in former days Bernard had always
regarded Johnny Eames as standing low in the world's regard. Then
Lily, when alone, would remember a certain comparison which she once
made between Adolphus Crosbie and John Eames, when neither of the men
had as yet pleaded his cause to her, and which had been very much in
favour of the former. She had then declared that Johnny was a "mere
clerk". She had a higher opinion of him now,--a much higher opinion,
even though he could never be more to her than a friend.

In these days Lily's new ally, Emily Dunstable, seemed to Lily to be
so happy! There was in Emily a co