Grace Crawley had spoken
no word, and yet he had known,--at any rate had not doubted, that
he could have the place in her heart of which he desired to be the
master. She would never surrender herself altogether till she had
taught herself to be sure of him to whom she gave herself. But she
had listened to him with silence that had not rebuked him, and he had
told himself that he might venture, without fear of that rebuke as
to which the minds of some men are sensitive to a degree which other
men cannot even understand. But for all this Major Grantly could not
be altogether happy as to his mission; he would ask Grace Crawley
to be his wife; but he would be ruined by his own success. And the
remembrance that he would be severed from all his own family by the
thing that he was doing, was very bitter to him. In generosity he
might be silent about this to Grace, but who can endure to be silent
on such a subject to the woman who is to be his wife? And then it
would not be possible for him to abstain from explanation. He was now
following her down to Allington, a step which he certainly would not
have taken but for the misfortune which had befallen her father, and
he must explain to her in some sort why he did so. He must say to
her,--if not in so many words, still almost as plainly as words could
speak,--I am here now to ask you to be my wife, because you specially
require the protection and countenance of the man who loves you, in
the present circumstances of your father's affairs. He knew that he
was doing right;--perhaps had some idea that he was doing nobly; but
this very appreciation of his own good qualities made the task before
him the more difficult.

Major Grantly had _The Times_, and John Eames had _The Daily News_,
and they exchanged papers. One had the last _Saturday_, and the
other the last _Spectator_, and they exchanged those also. Both
had The _Pall Mall Gazette_, of which enterprising periodical they
gradually came to discuss the merits and demerits, thus falling
into conversation at last, in spite of the weight of the mission on
which each of them was intent. Then, at last, when they were within
half-an-hour of the end of their journey, Major Grantly asked his
companion what was the best inn at Guestwick. He had at first been
minded to go on to Allington at once,--to go on to Allington and get
his work done, and then return home or remain there, or find the
nearest inn with a decent bed, as circumstances mi