d had led the man on till
he had committed himself, at any rate to her. In doing this she had
been actuated by friendship rather than by abstract principle. But
now, when the moment had come in which she must decide upon some
action, she paused. Was it right, for the sake of either of them,
that an offer of marriage should be made at such a moment as this?
It might be very well, in regard to some future time, that the major
should have so committed himself. She saw something of the man's
spirit, and believed that, having gone so far,--having so far told
his love, he would return to his love hereafter, let the result of
the Crawley trial be what it might. But,--but, this could be no
proper time for love-making. Though Grace loved the man, as Miss
Prettyman knew well,--though Grace loved the child, having allowed
herself to long to call it her own, though such a marriage would be
the making of Grace's fortune as those who loved her could hardly
have hoped that it should ever have been made, she would certainly
refuse the man, if he were to propose to her now. She would refuse
him, and then the man would be free;--free to change his mind if he
thought fit. Considering all these things, craftily in the exercise
of her friendship, too cunningly, I fear, to satisfy the claims of a
high morality, she resolved that the major had better not see Miss
Crawley at the present moment. Miss Prettyman paused before she
replied, and, when she did speak, Major Grantly had risen from his
chair and was standing with his back to the fire. "Major Grantly,"
she said, "you shall see her if you please, and if she pleases; but I
doubt whether her answer at such a moment as this would be that which
you would wish to receive."

"You think she would refuse me?"

"I do not think that she would accept you now. She would feel,--I am
sure she would feel, that these hours of her father's sorrow are not
hours in which love should be either offered or accepted. You shall,
however, see her if you please."

The major allowed himself a moment for thought; and as he thought he
sighed. Grace Crawley became more beautiful in his eyes than ever,
was endowed by these words from Miss Prettyman with new charms and
brighter virtues than he had seen before. Let come what might he
would ask her to be his wife on some future day, if he did not so ask
her now. For the present, perhaps, he had better be guided by Miss
Prettyman. "Then I will not see her," he said.