If the accusation against Crawley were false,--if the man were being injured by an unjust charge,--even if he, Grantly, could make himself think that the girl's father had not stolen the money, then he would dare everything and go on.

I do not know that his argument was good, or that his mind was logical in the matter.

He ought to have felt that his own judgment as to the man's guilt was less likely to be correct than that of those whose duty it was and would be to form and to express a judgment on the matter; and as to Grace herself, she was equally innocent whether her father were guilty or not guilty.

If he were to be debarred from asking her for her hand by his feelings for her father and mother, he should hardly have trusted to his own skill in ascertaining the real truth as to the alleged theft.

But he was not logical, and thus, meaning to be generous, he became unjust.
He found that among those in Silverbridge whom he presumed to be best informed on such matters, there was a growing opinion that Mr.
Crawley had stolen the money.