however, to lead him
to the front of the house, and in a few moments was standing on the
terrace hearing an account of the architecture of the mansion.

[Illustration: Squire Dale and Major Grantly.]

"You can see the date still in the brickwork of one of the
chimneys,--that is, if your eyes are very good you can see it,--1617.
It was completed in that year, and very little has been done to it
since. We think the chimneys are pretty."

"They are very pretty," said the major. "Indeed, the house altogether
is as graceful as it can be."

"Those trees are old, too," said the squire, pointing to two cedars
which stood at the side of the house. "They say they are older than
the house but I don't feel sure of it. There was a mansion here
before, very nearly, though not quite, on the same spot."

"Your own ancestors were living here before that, I suppose?" said
Grantly, meaning to be civil.

"Well, yes; two or three hundred years before it, I suppose. If you
don't mind coming down to the churchyard, you'll get an excellent
view of the house;--by far the best that there is. By-the-by, would
you like to step in and take a glass of wine?"

"I'm very much obliged," said the major, "but indeed I'd rather not."
Then he followed the squire down to the churchyard, and was shown the
church as well as the view of the house, and the vicarage, and a view
over to Allington woods from the vicarage gate, of which the squire
was very fond, and in this way he was taken back on to the Guestwick
side of the village, and even down on the road by which he had
entered it, without in the least knowing where he was. He looked at
his watch, and saw that it was past two. "I'm very much obliged to
you, sir," he said again taking off his hat to the squire, "and if I
shall not be intruding I'll make my way back to the village."

"What village?"

"To Allington," said Grantly.

"This is Allington," said the squire; and as he spoke, Lily Dale and
Grace Crawley turned a corner from the Guestwick road and came close
upon them. "Well, girls, I did not expect to see you," said the
squire; "your mamma told me you wouldn't be back till it was nearly
dark, Lily."

"We have come back earlier than we intended," said Lily. She of
course had seen the stranger with her uncle, and knowing the ways of
the squire in such matters had expected to be introduced to him. But
the reader will be aware that no introduction was possible. It never
occurred to Lily th