She would refuse him, and then the man would be free;—­free to change his mind if he saw fit.  Considering all these things, craftily in the exercise of her friendship, too cunningly, I fear, to satisfy the claims of a high morality, she resolved that the major had better not see Miss Crawley at the present moment.  Miss Prettyman paused before she replied, and, when she did speak, Major Grantly had risen from his chair and was standing with his back to the fire.  ‘Major Grantly,’ she said, ’you shall see if you please, and if she pleases; but I doubt whether her answer at such a moment as this would be that which you would wish to receive.’

‘You think she would refuse me?’

’I do not think she would accept you now.  She would feel—­I am sure she would feel, that these hours of her father’s sorrow are not hours in which love should be either offered or accepted.  You shall, however, see her if you please.’

The major allowed himself a moment for thought; and as he thought he sighed.  Grace Crawley had become more beautiful in his eyes than ever, was endowed by these words from Miss Prettyman with new charms and brighter virtues than he had seen before.  Let come what might he would ask her to be his wife on some future day; if he did not ask her now.  For the present, perhaps, he had better be guided by Miss Prettyman.  ‘Then I will not see her,’ he said.

‘I think that would be the wiser course.’

‘Of course you knew before this that I—­loved her?’

‘I thought so, Major Grantly.’

‘And that I intended to ask her to be my wife?’

’Well; since you put the question to me so plainly, I must confess that as Grace’s friend I should not quite have let things go on as they have gone—­though I am not at all disposed to interfere with any girl whom I believe to be pure and good as I know her to be—­but still I should hardly have been justified in letting things go on as they have gone, if I had not believed that such was your purpose.’

‘I wanted to set myself right with you, Miss Prettyman.’

‘You are right with me—­quite right’; and she got up and gave him her hand.  ’You are a fine, noble-hearted gentleman, and I hope that our Grace may live to be your happy wife, and the mother of your darling child, and the mother of other children.  I do not see how a woman could have a happier lot in life.’

‘And will you give Grace my love?’

’I will tell her at any rate that you have been here, and that you have inquired after her with the greatest kindness.  She will understand what that means without any word of love.’

’Can I do anything for her—­or her father; I mean in the way of money?  I don’t mind mentioning it to you, Miss Prettyman.’

’I will tell her that you are ready to do it, if anything can be done.  For myself I feel no doubt that the mystery will be cleared up at last; and then, if you will come here, we shall be so glad to see you.—­I shall at least.’