‘We think her very pretty.’

’She is more than pretty when she has a little fire in her eyes.  She is downright handsome—­or will be when she fills out a little.  I tell you what, my dear; she’ll make havoc with somebody yet; you see if she doesn’t.  Bye-bye.  Tell the two gentlemen to be up by seven punctually.’  And then Lady Lufton went home.

Grace so contrived that Mr Oriel came and went without seeing her.  There was a separate nursery breakfast at the parsonage, and by special permission Grace was allowed to have her tea and bread-and—­butter on the next morning with the children.  ’I thought you told me Miss Crawley was here,’ said Mr Oriel, as the two clergymen stood waiting for the gig that was to take the visitor away to Barchester.

‘So she is,’ said Robarts; ’but she likes to hide herself, because of her father’s trouble.  You can’t blame her.’

‘No, indeed,’ said Mr Oriel.

‘Poor girl.  If you knew her you would not only pity her, but like her.’

‘Is she—­what you call—?’

‘You mean, is she a lady?’

‘Of course she is by birth, and all that,’ said Mr Oriel, apologising for his inquiry.

‘I don’t think there is another girl in the county so well educated,’ said Mr Robarts.

‘Indeed!  I had no idea of that.’

’And we think her a great beauty.  As for manners, I never saw a girl with a prettier way of her own.’

‘Dear me,’ said Mr Oriel.  ‘I wish she had come down to breakfast.’

It will have been perceived that old Lady Lufton had heard nothing of Major Grantly’s offence; that she had no knowledge that Grace had already made havoc, as she had called it—­had, in truth, made very sad havoc, at Plumstead.  She did not, therefore, think much about it when her own son told her upon her return home from the parsonage on that afternoon that Major Grantly had come over from Cosby Lodge, and that he was going to dine and sleep at Framley Court.  Some slight idea of thankfulness came across her mind that she had not betrayed Grace Crawley into a meeting with a stranger.  ’I asked him to come some day before we went to town,’ said his lordship; ’and I am glad he has come today, as two clergymen to one’s self are, at any rate, one too many.’  So Major Grantly dined and slept at the Court.

But Mrs Robarts was in a great flurry when she was told of this by her husband on his return from the dinner.  Mrs Crawley had found an opportunity of telling the story of Major Grantly’s love to Mrs Robarts before she had sent her daughter to Framley, knowing that the families were intimate, and thinking it right that there should be some precaution.

‘I wonder whether he will come up here,’ Mrs Robarts had said.

‘Probably not,’ said the vicar.  ‘He said he was going home early.’

‘I hope he will not come—­for Grace’s sake,’ said Mrs Robarts.  She hesitated whether she should tell her husband.  She always did tell him everything.  But on this occasion she thought she had no right to do so, and she kept the secret.  ‘Don’t do anything to bring him up, dear.’