haps, than he had ever respected him before. He was
an eager as ever against the marriage;--but in thinking of his son
in what he said and did after these few moments of the interview, he
ceased to think of him with contempt. The creature before him was a
woman who grew in his opinion till he began to feel that she was in
truth fit to be the wife of his son--if only she were not a pauper,
and the daughter of a mad curate, and alas! too probably, of a thief.
Though his feeling towards the girl was changed, his duty to himself,
his family, and his son, was the same as ever, and therefore he began
his task.

"Perhaps you had not expected to see me?" he said.

"No, indeed, sir."

"Nor had I intended when I came over here to call on my old friend,
Lady Lufton, to come up to this house. But as I knew that you were
here, Miss Crawley, I thought that upon the whole it would be better
that I should see you." Then he paused as though he expected that
Grace would say something; but Grace had nothing to say. "Of course
you must understand, Miss Crawley, that I should not venture to speak
to you on this subject unless I myself were very closely interested
in it." He had not yet said what was the subject, and it was not
probable that Grace should give him any assistance by affecting to
understand this without direct explanation from him. She sat quite
motionless, and did not even aid him by showing by her altered colour
that she understood his purpose. "My son has told me," said he, "that
he has professed an attachment for you, Miss Crawley."

Then there was another pause, and Grace felt that she was compelled
to say something. "Major Grantly has been very good to me," she said,
and then she hated herself for having uttered words which were so
tame and unwomanly in their spirit. Of course her lover's father
would despise her for having so spoken. After all it did not much
signify. If he would only despise her and go away, it would perhaps
be for the best.

"I do not know about being good," said the archdeacon. "I think he is
good. I think he means to be good."

"I am sure he is good," said Grace warmly.

"You know he has a daughter, Miss Crawley?"

"Oh, yes; I know Edith well."

"Of course his first duty is to her. Is it not? And he owes much to
his family. Do you not feel that?"

"Of course I feel it, sir." The poor girl had always heard Dr. Grantly
spoken of as the archdeacon, but she did not in the least know what
sh