s. Surely this lover of Grace's
must have seen her smile like that, and therefore had loved her and
was giving such wonderful proof of his love. "Yes," continued Grace,
standing and looking at her friend, "you may stare at me, Lily, but
you may be sure that I will do for Major Grantly all the good that I
can do for him."

"What do you mean, Grace?"

"Never mind what I mean. You are very imperious in managing your own
affairs, and you must let me be so equally in mine."

"But I tell you everything."

"Do you suppose that if--if--if in real truth it can possibly be the
case that Major Grantly shall have come here to offer me his hand
when we are all ground down in the dust, as we are, do you think that
I will let him sacrifice himself? Would you?"

"Certainly. Why not? There will be no sacrifice. He will be asking
for that which he wishes to get; and you will be bound to give it to
him."

"If he wants it, where is his nobility? If it be as you say, he will
have shown himself noble, and his nobility will have consisted in
this, that he has been willing to take that which he does not want,
in order that he may succour the one whom he loves. I also will
succour one whom I love, as best I know how." Then she walked on
quickly before her friend, and Lily stood for a moment thinking
before she followed her. They were now on a field-path, by which they
were enabled to escape the road back to Allington for the greater
part of the distance, and Grace had reached a stile, and had
clambered over it before Lily had caught her.

"You must not go away by yourself," said Lily.

"I don't wish to go away by myself."

"I want you to stop a moment and listen to me. I am sure you are
wrong in this,--wrong for both your sakes. You believe that he loves
you?"

"I thought he did once; and if he has come here to see me, I suppose
he does still."

"If that be the case, and if you also love him--"

"I do. I make no mystery about that to you. I do love him with all my
heart. I love him to-day, now that I believe him to be here, and that
I suppose I shall see him, perhaps this very afternoon. And I loved
him yesterday, when I thought that I should never see him again. I
do love him. I do. I love him so well that I will never do him an
injury."

"That being so, if he makes you an offer you are bound to accept it.
I do not think that you have an alternative."

"I have an alternative, and I shall use it. Why don't you take my
cousi