there to call on Mrs. Robarts. He
went up there because he is making a fool of himself about that Miss
Crawley. That is the truth. Now you understand it all. I hope that
Mrs. Robarts does not know it. I do hope for her own sake that Mrs
Robarts does not know it."

The archdeacon certainly had no longer any doubt as to Lady Lufton's
innocence when he looked at her face as she heard these tidings. She
had predicted that Grace Crawley would "make havoc", and could not,
therefore, be altogether surprised at the idea that some gentleman
should have fallen in love with her; but she had never suspected
that the havoc might be made so early in her days, or on so great a
quarry. "You don't mean to tell me that Henry Grantly is in love with
Grace Crawley?" she replied.

"I mean to say that he says he is."

"Dear, dear, dear! I'm sure, archdeacon, that you will believe me
when I say that I knew nothing about it."

"I am quite sure of that," said the archdeacon dolefully.

"Or I certainly should not have been glad to see him here. But the
house, you know, is not mine, Dr. Grantly. I could have done nothing
if I had known it. But only to think--; well, to be sure. She has not
lost time, at any rate."

Now this was not at all the light in which the archdeacon wished that
the matter should be regarded. He had been desirous that Lady Lufton
should be horror-stricken by the tidings, but it seemed to him that
she regarded the iniquity almost as a good joke. What did it matter
how young or how old the girl might be? She came of poor people,--of
people who had no friends,--of disgraced people; and Lady Lufton
ought to feel that such a marriage would be a terrible misfortune and
a terrible crime. "I need hardly tell you, Lady Lufton," said the
archdeacon, "that I shall set my face against it as far as it is in
my power to do so."

"If they both be resolved I suppose you can hardly prevent it."

"Of course I cannot prevent it. Of course I cannot prevent it. If he
will break my heart and his mother's,--and his sister's,--of course
I cannot prevent it. If he will ruin himself, he must have his own
way."

"Ruin himself, Dr. Grantly!"

"They will have enough to live upon,--somewhere in Spain or France."
The scorn expressed in the archdeacon's voice as he spoke of Pau as
being "somewhere in Spain or France", should have been heard to be
understood. "No doubt they will have enough to live upon."

"Do you mean to say that it will mak