nd fox-covers at Plumstead, and
a seat among the magistrates of Barsetshire, and an establishment
full of horses, beeves, swine, carriages, and hayricks, a man brought
up as his son had been brought up ought not to be very long in
choosing. It never entered into the archdeacon's mind that he was
tempting his son; but Henry Grantly felt that he was having the good
things of the world shown to him, and that he was being told that
they should be his--for a consideration.

The major, in his present mood, looked at the matter from his own
point of view, and determined that the consideration was too high.
He was pledged not to give up Grace Crawley, and he would not yield
on that point, though he might be tempted by all the fox-covers in
Barsetshire. At this moment he did not know how far his father was
prepared to yield, or how far it was expected that he should yield
himself. He was told that he had to speak to his mother. He would
speak to his mother, but, in the meantime, he could not bring himself
to make a comfortable answer to his father's eloquent praise of
landed property. He could not allow himself to be enthusiastic on
the matter till he knew what was expected of him if he chose to
submit to be made a British squire. At present _Galignani_ and the
mountains had their charms for him. There was, therefore, but little
conversation between the father and the son as they walked back to
the rectory.

Late that night the major heard the whole story from his mother.
Gradually, and as though unintentionally, Mrs. Grantly told him all
she knew of the archdeacon's visit to Framley. Mrs. Grantly was quite
as anxious as was her husband to keep her son at home, and therefore
she omitted in her story those little sneers against Grace which she
herself had been tempted to make by the archdeacon's fervour in the
girl's favour. The major said as little as was possible while he was
being told of his father's adventure, and expressed neither anger
nor satisfaction till he had been made thoroughly to understand that
Grace had pledged herself not to marry him as long as any suspicion
should rest upon her father's name.

"Your father is quite satisfied with her," said Mrs. Grantly. "He
thinks that she is behaving very well."

"My father had no right to exact such a pledge."

"But she made it of her own accord. She was the first to speak about
Mr. Crawley's supposed guilt. Your father never mentioned it."

"He must have led to it;