第53章

Shehadbegunbywatchingthewordsfromhislipswithamournfulregard，asthoughtheirpassagewerevisible；butashewentonshedroppedherglance。“Yes。”shesaid，“Ihavethoughtthat，too。And，becauseIhavethoughtit，Ibynomeansmeant，inspeakingoftheproprieties，tobereservedandcoldtoyouwholovedmesolongago，ortohurtyourheartasIusedtodoatthatthoughtlesstime。Oh，notatall，indeed！But——oughtItoallowyou？——oh，itistooquick——surely！”Hereyesfilledwithtearsofbewildered，alarmedemotion。

Winterbornewastoostraightforwardtoinfluenceherfurtheragainstherbetterjudgment。“Yes——Isupposeitis。”hesaid，repentantly。“I’llwaittillallissettled。Whatdidyourfathersayinthatlastletter？”

Hemeantabouthisprogresswiththepetition；butshe，mistakinghim，franklyspokeofthepersonalpart。“Hesaid——whatIhaveimplied。ShouldItellmoreplainly？”

“Ohno——don’t，ifitisasecret。”

“Notatall。Iwilltelleveryword，straightout，Giles，ifyouwish。HesaidIwastoencourageyou。There。ButIcannotobeyhimfurtherto-day。Come，letusgonow。”Shegentlyslidherhandfromhis，andwentinfrontofhimoutoftheAbbey。

“Iwasthinkingofgettingsomedinner。”saidWinterborne，changingtotheprosaic，astheywalked。“Andyou，too，mustrequiresomething。DoletmetakeyoutoaplaceIknow。”

Gracewasalmostwithoutafriendintheworldoutsideherfather’shouse；herlifewithFitzpiershadbroughthernosociety；hadsometimes，indeed，broughtherdeepersolitudeandinconsiderationthananyshehadeverknownbefore。Henceitwasatreattohertofindherselfagaintheobjectofthoughtfulcare。ButshequestionediftogopubliclytodinewithGilesWinterbornewerenotaproposal，duerathertohisunsophisticationthantohisdiscretion。Shesaidgentlythatshewouldmuchpreferhisorderingherlunchatsomeplaceandthencomingtotellheritwasready，whilesheremainedintheAbbeyporch。Gilessawhersecretreasoning，thoughthowhopelesslyblindtoproprietyhewasbesideher，andwenttodoasshewished。

Hewasnotabsentmorethantenminutes，andfoundGracewherehehadlefther。“Itwillbequitereadybythetimeyougetthere。”

hesaid，andtoldherthenameoftheinnatwhichthemealhadbeenordered，whichwasonethatshehadneverheardof。

“I’llfinditbyinquiry。”saidGrace，settingout。

“AndshallIseeyouagain？”

“Ohyes——cometomethere。Itwillnotbelikegoingtogether。I

shallwantyoutofindmyfather’smanandthegigforme。”

Hewaitedonsometenminutesoraquarterofanhour，tillhethoughtherlunchended，andthathemightfairlytakeadvantageofherinvitationtostartheronherwayhome。HewentstraighttoTheThreeTuns——alittletaverninasidestreet，scrupulouslyclean，buthumbleandinexpensive。Onhiswayhehadanoccasionalmisgivingastowhethertheplacehadbeenelegantenoughforher；andassoonasheenteredit，andsawherensconcedthere，heperceivedthathehadblundered。

Gracewasseatedintheonlydining-roomthatthesimpleoldhostelrycouldboastof，whichwasalsoageneralparloronmarket-days；along，lowapartment，withasandedfloorherring-

bonedwithabroom；awide，red-curtainedwindowtothestreet，andanothertothegarden。Gracehadretreatedtotheendoftheroomlookingoutuponthelatter，thefrontpartbeingfullofamixedcompanywhichhaddroppedinsincehewasthere。

Shewasinamoodofthegreatestdepression。Onarriving，andseeingwhatthetavernwaslike，shehadbeentakenbysurprise；

buthavinggonetoofartoretreat，shehadheroicallyenteredandsatdownonthewell-scrubbedsettle，oppositethenarrowtablewithitsknivesandsteelforks，tinpepper-boxes，bluesalt-

cellars，andpostersadvertisingthesaleofbullocksagainstthewall。ThelasttimethatshehadtakenanymealinapublicplaceithadbeenwithFitzpiersatthegrandnewEarlofWessexHotelinthattown，afteratwomonths’roamingandsojourningatthegigantichotelsoftheContinent。Howcouldshehaveexpectedanyotherkindofaccommodationinpresentcircumstancesthansuch