tyman was too common a personage
in the Silverbridge world to be fit for such employment. Miss Anne
Prettyman was, indeed, herself submissive to him, and treated him
with the courtesy which is due to a superior being. He therefore
simply asked her whether he could be allowed to see her sister.

"Surely, Major Grantly;--that is, I think so. It is a little early,
but I think she can receive you."

"It is early, I know; but as I want to say a word or two on
business--"

"Oh, on business. I am sure she will see you on business; she will
only be too proud. If you will be kind enough to step in here for two
minutes." Then Miss Anne, having deposited the major in the little
parlour, ran upstairs with her message to her sister. "Of course it's
about Grace Crawley" she said to herself as she went. "It can't be
about anything else. I wonder what it is he's going to say. If he's
going to pop, and the father in all this trouble, he's the finest
fellow that ever trod." Such were her thoughts as she tapped at the
door and announced in the presence of Grace that there was somebody
in the hall.

"It's Major Grantly," whispered Anne, as soon as Grace had shut the
door behind her.

"So I supposed by your telling her not to go into the hall. What has
he come to say?"

"How on earth can I tell you that, Annabella? But I suppose he can
have only one thing to say after all that has come and gone. He can
only have come with one object."

"He wouldn't have come to me for that. He would have asked to see
herself."

"But she never goes out now, and he can't see her."

"Or he would have gone to them over at Hogglestock," said Miss
Prettyman. "But of course he must come up now he is here. Would you
mind telling him? or shall I ring the bell?"

"I'll tell him. We need not make more fuss than necessary, with the
servants, you know. I suppose I'd better not come back with him?"

There was a tone of supplication in the younger sister's voice as she
made the last suggestion, which ought to have melted the heart of the
elder; but it was unavailing. "As he has asked to see me, I think you
had better not," said Annabella. Miss Anne Prettyman bore her cross
meekly, offered no argument on the subject, and returning to the
little parlour where she had left the major, brought him upstairs and
ushered him into her sister's room without even entering it again,
herself.

Major Grantly was as intimately acquainted with Miss Anne Prettyman
as a m