an late in life."

The major had intended to stay and dine at Chaldicotes, but when
he heard what was said about Grace, his heart became sad, and he
made some excuse as to his child, and returned home. Dr. Thorne had
declared that no man could allow himself to fall in love with her.
But what if a man had fallen in love with her beforehand? What if a
man had not only fallen in love, but spoken of his love? Had he been
alone with the doctor, he would, I think, have told him the whole of
his trouble; for in all the county there was no man whom he would
sooner have trusted with his secret. This Dr. Thorne was known far
and wide for his soft heart, his open hand, and his well-sustained
indifference to the world's opinions on most of those social matters
with which the world meddles; and therefore the words which he had
spoken had more weight with Major Grantly than they would have had
from other lips. As he drove home he almost made up his mind that he
would consult Dr. Thorne upon the matter. There were many younger men
with whom he was very intimate,--Frank Gresham, for instance, and
Lord Lufton himself; but this was an affair which he hardly knew how
to discuss with a young man. To Dr. Thorne he thought that he could
bring himself to tell the whole story.

In the evening there came to him a messenger from Plumstead, with a
letter from his father and some present for the child. He knew at
once that the present had been thus sent as an excuse for the letter.
His father might have written by the post, of course; but that would
have given to his letter a certain air and tone which he had not
wished it to bear. After some message from the major's mother, and
some allusion to Edith, the archdeacon struck off upon the matter
that was near his heart.

"I fear it is all up with that unfortunate man at Hogglestock," he
said. "From what I hear of the evidence which came out before the
magistrates, there can, I think, be no doubt as to his guilt. Have
you heard that the bishop sent over on the following day to stop him
from preaching? He did so, and sent again on the Sunday. But Crawley
would not give way, and so far I respect the man; for, as a matter
of course, whatever the bishop did, or attempted to do, he would do
with an extreme of bad taste, probably with gross ignorance as to his
own duty and as to the duty of the man under him. I am told that on
the first day Crawley turned out of his house the messenger sent to
him,--so