from him. And then Lily had ceased to talk of him,
and she did expect nothing. Now he was there before her, asking her
to come to him and be his wife. Yes; she would kiss his shoebuckles,
only that the kissing of his shoebuckles would bring upon him that
injury which he should never suffer from her hands! He had been
generous, and her self-pride was satisfied. But her other pride was
touched, and she also would be generous. "Can you not bring yourself
to give me some answer?" he had said to her. Of course she must give
him an answer, but how should she give it?

"You are very kind," she said.

"I would be more than kind."

"So you are. Kind is a cold word when used to such a friend at such a
time."

"I would be everything on earth to you that a man can be to a woman."

"I know I ought to thank you if I knew how. My heart is full of
thanks; it is indeed."

"And is there no room for love there?"

"There is no room for love in our house, Major Grantly. You have not
seen papa."

"No; but if you wish it, I will do so at once."

"It would do no good;--none. I only asked you because you can hardly
know how sad is our state at home."

"But I cannot see that that need deter you, if you can love me."

"Can you not? If you saw him, and the house, and my mother, you would
not say so. In the Bible it is said of some season that it is not a
time for marrying, or for giving in marriage. And so it is with us."

"I am not pressing you as to a day. I only ask you to say that you
will be engaged to me,--so that I may tell my own people, and let it
be known."

"I understand all that. I know how good you are. But, Major Grantly,
you must understand me also when I assure you that it cannot be so."

"Do you mean that you refuse me altogether?"

"Yes; altogether."

"And why?"

"Must I answer that question? Ought I to be made to answer it? But I
will tell you fairly, without touching on anything else, that I feel
that we are all disgraced, and that I will not take disgrace into
another family."

"Grace, do you love me?"

"I love no one now,--that is, as you mean. I can love no one. I have
no room for any feeling except for my father and mother, and for us
all. I should not be here now but that I save my mother the bread
that I should eat at home."

"Is it as bad as that?"

"Yes, it is as bad as that. It is much worse than that, if you knew
it all. You cannot conceive how low we have fallen. And now they tell
me tha