CHAPTERXXVIII
SHOWINGHOWMAJORGRANTLYTOOKAWALK
MajorGrantlydrovehisgigintotheyardofthe’RedLion’atAllington，andfromthencewalkedawayatoncetoMrsDale’shouse。Whenhereachedthevillagehehadhardlymadeuphismindasthewayinwhichhewouldbeginhisattack；butnow，ashewentdownthestreet，heresolvedthathewouldfirstaskforMrsDale。MostprobablyhewouldfindhimselfinthepresentofMrsDaleandherdaughter，andofGracealso，athisfirstentrance；andifso，hispositionwouldbeawkwardenough。HealmostregrettednowthathehadnotwrittentoMrsDale，andaskedforaninterview。Histaskwouldbeverydifficultifheshouldfindalltheladiestogether。ButhewasstrongenoughinthefeelingthatwhenhispurposewastolditwouldmeettheapprovalatanyrateofMrsDale；andhewalkedboldlyon，andbravelyknockedatthedooroftheSmallHouse，ashehadalreadylearnedthatMrsDale’sresidencewascalledbytheneighbourhood。Nobodywasathome，theservantsaid；andthen，whenthevisitorbegantomakefurtherinquiry，thegirlexplainedthatthetwoyoungladieshadwalkedasfarasGuestwickCottage，andthatMrsDalewasatthismomentattheGreatHousewiththesquire。Shehadgoneacrosssoonaftertheyoungladieshadstarted。Themaid，however，wasinterruptedbeforeshehadfinishedtellingallthistothemajor，byfindinghermistressbehindherinthepassage。MrsDalehadreturned，andhadenteredthehousefromthelawn。
’Iamherenow，Jane，’saidMrsDale，’ifthegentlemanwishestoseeme。’
Thenthemajorannouncedhimself。’MynameisMajorGrantly，’saidhe；