The Last Chronicle of Barset [43]
from the Inn larder. And there was sherry in the Inn decanter. But no such comfort as that was possible for either of them.
They were taken home again in the fly, returning without the escort of Mr Thompson, and as they went home some few words were spoken by Mrs Crawley. 'Josiah,' she said, 'there will be a way out of this, even yet, if you will only hold up your head and trust.'
'There is a way out of it,' he said. 'There is a way. There is but one way.' When he had spoken she said no more, but resolved that her eye should never be off him, no--not for a moment. Then, when she had gotten him once more into that front parlour, she threw her arms around him and kissed him.
CHAPTER IX
GRACE CRAWLEY GOES TO ALLINGTON
The tidings of what had been done by the magistrates at their petty sessions was communicated the same night to Grace Crawley by Miss Prettyman. Miss Anne Prettyman had heard the news within five minutes of the execution of the bail-bond, and had rushed to her sister with information as to the event. 'They have found him guilty; they have, indeed. They have convicted him--or whatever it is, because he couldn't say where he got it.' 'You do not mean that they have sent him to prison?' 'No;--not to prison; not as yet, that is. I don't understand it altogether; but he's to be tried again in the assizes. In the meantime he's to be out on bail. Major Grantly is to be the bail--and Mr Robarts. That, I think, was very nice of him.' It was undoubtedly the fact that Miss Anne Prettyman had received an accession of pleasurable emotion when she learned that Mr Crawley had not been sent away scatheless, but had been condemned, as it were, to public trial at the assizes. And yet she would have done anything in her power to save Grace Crawley, or even to save her father. And it must be explained that Miss Anne Prettyman was supposed to be specially efficient in teaching Roman history to her pupils, although she was so manifestly ignorant of the course of the law in the country in which she lived. 'Committed him,' said Miss Prettyman, correcting her sister with scorn. 'They have not convicted him. Had they convicted him there would be no question of bail.' 'I don't know how that all is, Annabella, but at any rate Major Grantly is to be the bailsman, and there is to be another trial at Barchester.' 'There cannot be more than one trial in a criminal case,' said Miss Prettyman, 'unless the jury should disagree, or something of that kind. I suppose he has been committed and the trial will take place at the assizes.' 'Exactly--that's just it.' Had Lord Lufton appeared as lictor and had Thompson carried the fasces, Miss Anne would have known more about it.
The sad tidings were not told to Grace till the evening. Mrs Crawley, when the inquiry was over before the magistrates, would fain have had herself driven to the Miss Prettyman's school, that she might see her daughter; but she felt that to be impossible while her husband was in her charge. The father would of course have gone to his child, had the visit been suggested to him; but that would have caused another terrible scene; and the mother, considering it all in her mind, thought it better to abstain. Miss Prettyman did her best to make poor Grace think that the affair had so far gone favourably--did her best, that is, without saying anything which her conscience told her to be false. 'It is to be settled at the assizes in April,' she said.
'In the meantime what will become of papa?'
'Your papa will be at home, just as usual. He must have someone to advise him. I daresay it would have been all over now if he would have employed an attorney.'
'But it seems so hard that an attorney should be wanted.'
'My dear Grace, things in this world are hard.'
'But they are always harder for poor papa and mamma than for anybody else.' In answer to this Miss Prettyman made some remarks intended to be wise and kind at the same time. Grace, whose eyes were laden with tears, made no immediate reply to this, but reverted to her former statement that she must
They were taken home again in the fly, returning without the escort of Mr Thompson, and as they went home some few words were spoken by Mrs Crawley. 'Josiah,' she said, 'there will be a way out of this, even yet, if you will only hold up your head and trust.'
'There is a way out of it,' he said. 'There is a way. There is but one way.' When he had spoken she said no more, but resolved that her eye should never be off him, no--not for a moment. Then, when she had gotten him once more into that front parlour, she threw her arms around him and kissed him.
CHAPTER IX
GRACE CRAWLEY GOES TO ALLINGTON
The tidings of what had been done by the magistrates at their petty sessions was communicated the same night to Grace Crawley by Miss Prettyman. Miss Anne Prettyman had heard the news within five minutes of the execution of the bail-bond, and had rushed to her sister with information as to the event. 'They have found him guilty; they have, indeed. They have convicted him--or whatever it is, because he couldn't say where he got it.' 'You do not mean that they have sent him to prison?' 'No;--not to prison; not as yet, that is. I don't understand it altogether; but he's to be tried again in the assizes. In the meantime he's to be out on bail. Major Grantly is to be the bail--and Mr Robarts. That, I think, was very nice of him.' It was undoubtedly the fact that Miss Anne Prettyman had received an accession of pleasurable emotion when she learned that Mr Crawley had not been sent away scatheless, but had been condemned, as it were, to public trial at the assizes. And yet she would have done anything in her power to save Grace Crawley, or even to save her father. And it must be explained that Miss Anne Prettyman was supposed to be specially efficient in teaching Roman history to her pupils, although she was so manifestly ignorant of the course of the law in the country in which she lived. 'Committed him,' said Miss Prettyman, correcting her sister with scorn. 'They have not convicted him. Had they convicted him there would be no question of bail.' 'I don't know how that all is, Annabella, but at any rate Major Grantly is to be the bailsman, and there is to be another trial at Barchester.' 'There cannot be more than one trial in a criminal case,' said Miss Prettyman, 'unless the jury should disagree, or something of that kind. I suppose he has been committed and the trial will take place at the assizes.' 'Exactly--that's just it.' Had Lord Lufton appeared as lictor and had Thompson carried the fasces, Miss Anne would have known more about it.
The sad tidings were not told to Grace till the evening. Mrs Crawley, when the inquiry was over before the magistrates, would fain have had herself driven to the Miss Prettyman's school, that she might see her daughter; but she felt that to be impossible while her husband was in her charge. The father would of course have gone to his child, had the visit been suggested to him; but that would have caused another terrible scene; and the mother, considering it all in her mind, thought it better to abstain. Miss Prettyman did her best to make poor Grace think that the affair had so far gone favourably--did her best, that is, without saying anything which her conscience told her to be false. 'It is to be settled at the assizes in April,' she said.
'In the meantime what will become of papa?'
'Your papa will be at home, just as usual. He must have someone to advise him. I daresay it would have been all over now if he would have employed an attorney.'
'But it seems so hard that an attorney should be wanted.'
'My dear Grace, things in this world are hard.'
'But they are always harder for poor papa and mamma than for anybody else.' In answer to this Miss Prettyman made some remarks intended to be wise and kind at the same time. Grace, whose eyes were laden with tears, made no immediate reply to this, but reverted to her former statement that she must