‘I am so glad you’ve come—that
is, if you’ve brought my spectacles,’
said Lady Julia.
‘My pockets are crammed with spectacles,’
said Johnny.
‘And when are you coming to me?’
‘I was thinking of Tuesday.’
’No; don’t come till Wednesday.
But I mean Monday. No; Monday won’t do.
Come on Tuesday—early, and drive me out.
And now tell us the news.’
Johnny swore that there was no news. He made
a brave attempt to be gay and easy before Lily; but
he failed, and he knew that he failed—and
he knew that she knew that he failed. ‘Mamma
will be so glad to see you,’ said Lily.
‘I suppose you haven’t seen Bell yet?’
‘I only got to Guestwick yesterday afternoon,’
said he.
’And it will be so nice our having Grace at
the Small House;—won’t it? Uncle
Christopher has quite taken a passion for Grace—so
that I am hardly anybody now in the Allington world.’
‘By-the-by,’ said Johnny, ’I came
down here with a friend of yours, Grace.’
‘A friend of mine?’ said Grace.
’So he says, and he is at Allington at this
moment. He passed me in the gig down here.’
‘And what was his name?’ Lily asked.
‘I have not the remotest idea,’ said Johnny.
’He is a man about my own age, very good-looking,
and apparently very well able to take care of himself.
He is short-sighted, and holds a glass in one eye when
he looks out of a carriage window. That’s
all I know about him.
Grace Crawley’s face had become suffused with
blushes at the first mention of the friend and the
gig; but then Grace blushed very easily. Lily
knew all about it at once;—at once divined
who must be the friend in the gig, and was almost
beside herself with joy. Lady Julia, who had
heard no more of the major than had Johnny, was still
clever enough to perceive that the friend must be
a particular friend—for she had noticed
Miss Crawley’s blushes. And Grace herself
had no doubt as to the man. The picture of her
lover, with the glass in his eye as he looked out
of the window, had been too perfect to admit of a doubt.
In her distress she put out her hand and took hold
of Lily’s dress.
‘And you say he is at Allington now?’
said Lily.
‘I have no doubt he is at the Small House at
this moment,’ said Johnny.
SHOWING HOW MAJOR GRANTLY TOOK A WALK
Major Grantly drove his gig into the yard of the ‘Red
Lion’ at Allington, and from thence walked away
at once to Mrs Dale’s house. When he reached
the village he had hardly made up his mind as the way
in which he would begin his attack; but now, as he
went down the street, he resolved that he would first
ask for Mrs Dale. Most probably he would find
himself in the presence of Mrs Dale and her daughter,
and of Grace also, at his first entrance; and if so,
his position would be awkward enough. He almost
