nd his mind ran back over the incidents of
his life which were connected with the place. He remembered a certain
long ramble which he had taken in those woods after Lily had refused
him. That had been subsequent to the Crosbie episode in his life, and
Johnny had been led to hope by certain of his friends,--especially
by Lord De Guest and his sister,--that he might then be successful.
But he had been unsuccessful, and had passed the bitterest hour of
his life wandering about in those woods. Since that he had been
unsuccessful again and again; but the bitterness of failure had not
been so strong with him as on that first occasion. He would try again
now, and if he failed, he would fail for the last time. As he was
thinking of all this, a gig overtook him on the road, and on looking
round he saw that the occupant of the gig was the man who had
travelled with him on the previous day in the train. Major Grantly
was alone in the gig, and as he recognised John Eames he stopped his
horse. "Are you also going to Allington?" he asked. John Eames, with
something of scorn in his voice, replied that he had no intention of
going to Allington on that day. He still thought that this man might
be an emissary from Crosbie, and therefore resolved that but scant
courtesy was due to him. "I am on my way there now," said Grantly,
"and am going to the house of your friend. May I tell her that I
travelled with you yesterday?"

"Yes, sir," said Johnny. "You may tell her that you came down with
John Eames."

"And are you John Eames?" asked the major.

"If you have no objection," said Johnny. "But I can hardly suppose
you have ever heard my name before?"

"It is familiar to me, because I have the pleasure of knowing a
cousin of yours, Miss Grace Crawley."

"My cousin is at present staying at Allington with Mrs. Dale," said
Johnny.

"Just so," said the major, who now began to reflect that he had been
indiscreet in mentioning Grace Crawley's name. No doubt every one
connected with the family, all the Crawleys, all the Dales, and all
the Eameses, would soon know the business which had brought him down
to Allington; but he need not have taken the trouble of beginning the
story against himself. John Eames, in truth, had never even heard
Major Grantly's name, and was quite unaware of the fortune which
awaited his cousin. Even after what he had now been told, he still
suspected the stranger of being an emissary from his enemy; but the
major, no