ery
sad havoc, at Plumstead. She did not, therefore, think much about it
when her own son told her upon her return home from the parsonage on
that afternoon that Major Grantly had come over from Cosby Lodge, and
that he was going to dine and sleep at Framley Court. Some slight
idea of thankfulness came across her mind that she had not betrayed
Grace Crawley into a meeting with a stranger. "I asked him to come
some day before we went to town," said his lordship; "and I am glad
he has come to-day, as two clergymen to one's self are, at any rate,
one too many." So Major Grantly dined and slept at the Court.

But Mrs. Robarts was in a great flurry when she was told of this by
her husband on his return from the dinner. Mrs. Crawley had found
an opportunity of telling the story of Major Grantly's love to Mrs
Robarts before she had sent her daughter to Framley, knowing that the
families were intimate, and thinking it right that there should be
some precaution.

"I wonder whether he will come up here," Mrs. Robarts had said.

"Probably not," said the vicar. "He said he was going home early."

"I hope he will not come--for Grace's sake," said Mrs. Robarts. She
hesitated whether she should tell her husband. She always did tell
him everything. But on this occasion she thought she had no right to
do so, and she kept the secret. "Don't do anything to bring him up,
dear."

"You needn't be afraid. He won't come," said the vicar. On the
following morning, as soon as Mr. Oriel was gone, Mr. Robarts went
out,--about his parish he would probably have called it; but in
half-an-hour he might have been seen strolling about the Court
stable-yard with Lord Lufton. "Where is Grantly?" asked the vicar.
"I don't know where he is," said his lordship. "He has sloped off
somewhere." The major had sloped off to the parsonage, well knowing
in what nest his dove was lying hid; and he and the vicar had passed
each other. The major had gone out at the front gate, and the vicar
had gone in at the stable entrance.

The two clergymen had hardly taken their departure when Major Grantly
knocked at the parsonage door. He had come so early that Mrs. Robarts
had taken no precautions,--even had there been any precautions which
she would have thought it right to take. Grace was in the act of
coming down the stairs, not having heard the knock at the door, and
thus she found her lover in the hall. He had asked, of course, for
Mrs. Robarts, and thus they two