And as he went, at the corner of the lane which led from the main road up to Guestwick cottage, he again came upon John Eames, who was also returning to Guestwick.  There had been a few words spoken between Lady Julia and Johnny respecting Major Grantly after the girls had left the cottage, and Johnny had been persuaded that the strange visitor to Allington could have no connexion with his arch-enemy.  ’And why has he gone to Allington,’ John demanded, somewhat sternly, of his hostess.

’Well; if you ask me, I think he has gone there to see your cousin, Grace Crawley.’

‘He told me that he knew Grace,’ said John, looking as though he were conscious of his own ingenuity in putting two and two together very cleverly.

‘Your cousin Grace is a very pretty girl,’ said Lady Julia.

‘It’s a long time since I’ve seen her,’ said Johnny.

‘Why, you saw her just this last minute,’ said Lady Julia.

‘I didn’t look at her,’ said Johnny.  Therefore, when he again met Major Grantly, having continued to put two and two together with great ingenuity, he felt quite sure that the man had nothing to do with the arch-enemy, and he determined to be gracious.  ’Did you find them at home at Allington,’ he said, raising his hat.

‘How do you do again?’ said the major.  ’Yes, I found your friend Mrs Dale at home.’

’But not her daughter, or my cousin?  They were up there;—­where I’ve come from.  But, perhaps, they had got back before you left.’

‘I saw them both.  They found me on the road with Mr Dale.’

‘What—­the squire?  Then you have seen everybody.’

‘Everybody I wished to see at Allington.’

‘But you wouldn’t stay at the “Red Lion"?’

’Well, no.  I remembered that I wanted to get back to London; and as I had seen my friends, I thought I might as well hurry away.’

‘You knew Mrs Dale before, then?’

’No, I didn’t.  I never saw her in my life before.  But I knew the old squire when I was a boy.  However, I should have said friend.  I went to see one friend, and I saw her.’

John Eames perceived that his companion put a strong emphasis on the word ‘her’, as though he were determined to declare boldly that he had gone to Allington solely to see Grace Crawley.  He had not the slightest objection to recognising in Major Grantly a suitor for his cousin’s hand.  He could only reflect what an unusually fortunate girl Grace must be if such a thing could be true.  Of those poor Crawleys he had only heard from time to time that their misfortunes were as numerous as the sands on the sea-shore, and as unsusceptible of any fixed and permanent arrangement.  But, as regarded Grace, there would be a very permanent arrangement.  Tidings had reached him that Grace was a great scholar, but he had never heard much of her beauty.  It must probably be the case that Major Grantly was fond of Greek.  There was, he reminded himself, no accounting for tastes; but as nothing could be more respectable than such an alliance, he thought that it would become him to be civil to the major.