She returned home for a day or two, and was persuaded by her mother to accept the invitation that had been given her.

At Hogglestock, while she was there, new troubles came up, of which something shall shortly be told; but they were troubles in which Grace could give no assistance to her mother, and which, indeed, though they were in truth troubles, as will be seen, were so far beneficent that they stirred her father up to a certain action which was in itself salutary.

"I think it will be better that you should be away, dearest," said the mother, who now, for the first time, heard plainly all that poor Grace had to tell about Major Grantly;--Grace having, heretofore, barely spoken, in most ambiguous words, of Major Grantly as a gentleman whom she had met at Framley, and whom she had described as being "very nice." In old days, long ago, Lucy Robarts, the present Lady Lufton, sister of the Rev.Mark Robarts, the parson of Framley, had sojourned for a while under Mr.Crawley's roof at Hogglestock.

Peculiar circumstances, which need not, perhaps, be told here, had given occasion for this visit.

She had then resolved,--for her future destiny had been known to her before she left Mrs.Crawley's house,--that she would in coming days do much to befriend the family of her friend; but the doing of much had been very difficult.