ought in a verdict of Guilty against
the father of the girl whom he loved.

On the following morning he walked into Silverbridge and called at
Miss Prettyman's house. As he went along his heart was warmer towards
Grace than it had ever been before. He had told himself that he was
now bound to abstain, for his father's sake, from doing that which
he had told his father that he would certainly do. But he knew also,
that he had said that which, though it did not bind him to Miss
Crawley, gave her a right to expect that he would so bind himself.
And Miss Prettyman could not but be aware of what his intention had
been, and could not but expect that he should now be explicit. Had
he been a wise man altogether, he would probably have abstained from
saying anything at the present moment,--a wise man, that is, in the
ways and feelings of the world in such matters. But, as there are men
who will allow themselves all imaginable latitude in their treatment
of women, believing that the world will condone any amount of fault
of that nature, so are there other men, and a class of men which on
the whole is the more numerous of the two, who are tremblingly alive
to the danger of censure on this head,--and to the danger of censure
not only from others, but from themselves also. Major Grantly had
done that which made him think it imperative upon him to do something
further, and to do that something at once.

Therefore he started off on the Monday morning after breakfast and
walked to Silverbridge, and as he walked he built various castles in
the air. Why should he not marry Grace,--if she would have him,--and
take her away beyond the reach of her father's calamity? Why should
he not throw over his own people altogether, money, position,
society, and all, and give himself up to love? Were he to do so, men
might say that he was foolish, but no one could hint that he was
dishonourable. His spirit was high enough to teach him to think that
such conduct on his part would have in it something of magnificence;
but, yet, such was not his purpose. In going to Miss Prettyman it was
his intention to apologise for not doing this magnificent thing. His
mind was quite made up. Nevertheless he built castles in the air.

It so happened that he encountered the younger Miss Prettyman in
the hall. It would not at all have suited him to reveal to her the
purport of his visit, or ask her either to assist his suit or to
receive his apologies. Miss Anne Pret