son, and as they went some few words were spoken by Mrs
Crawley. "Josiah," she said, "there will be a way out of this, even
yet, if you will only hold up your head and trust."
"There is a way out of it," he said. "There is a way. There is but
one way." When he had spoken she said no more, but resolved that her
eye should never be off him, no,--not for a moment. Then, when she
had gotten him once more into that front parlour, she threw her arms
round him and kissed him.
CHAPTER IX
Grace Crawley Goes to Allington
[Illustration]
The tidings of what had been done by the magistrates at their petty
sessions was communicated the same night to Grace Crawley by Miss
Prettyman. Miss Anne Prettyman had heard the news within five minutes
of the execution of the bail-bond, and had rushed to her sister with
information as to the event. "They have found him guilty; they have,
indeed. They have convicted him,--or whatever it is, because he
couldn't say where he got it." "You do not mean that they have sent
him to prison?" "No;--not to prison; not as yet, that is. I don't
understand it altogether; but he's to be tried again at the assizes.
In the meantime he's to be out on bail. Major Grantly is to be the
bail,--and Mr. Robarts. That, I think, was very nice of him." It
was undoubtedly the fact that Miss Anne Prettyman had received an
accession of pleasurable emotion when she learned that Mr. Crawley had
not been sent away scatheless, but had been condemned, as it were, to
a public trial at the assizes. And yet she would have done anything
in her power to save Grace Crawley, or even to save her father. And
it must be explained that Miss Anne Prettyman was supposed to be
specially efficient in teaching Roman history to her pupils, although
she was so manifestly ignorant of the course of the law in the
country in which she lived. "Committed him," said Miss Prettyman,
correcting her sister with scorn. "They have not convicted him. Had
they convicted him, there could be no question of bail." "I don't
know how all that is, Annabella, but at any rate Major Grantly is
to be the bailsman, and there is to be another trial at Barchester."
"There cannot be more than one trial in a criminal case," said Miss
Prettyman, "unless the jury should disagree, or something of that
kind. I suppose he has been committed and that the trial will take
place at the assizes." "Exactly,--that's just it." Had Lord Lufton
appeared as lictor and had
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