When Melbury heard what had happened he seemed much moved, and walked
thoughtfully about the premises. On South's own account he was
genuinely sorry; and on Winterborne's he was the more grieved in that
this catastrophe had so closely followed the somewhat harsh dismissal
of Giles as the betrothed of his daughter.

He was quite angry with circumstances for so heedlessly inflicting on
Giles a second trouble when the needful one inflicted by himself was
all that the proper order of events demanded. "I told Giles's father
when he came into those houses not to spend too much money on lifehold
property held neither for his own life nor his son's," he exclaimed.
"But he wouldn't listen to me. And now Giles has to suffer for it."

"Poor Giles!" murmured Grace.

"Now, Grace, between us two, it is very, very remarkable. It is almost
as if I had foreseen this; and I am thankful for your escape, though I
am sincerely sorry for Giles. Had we not dismissed him already, we
could hardly have found it in our hearts to dismiss him now. So I say,
be thankful. I'll do all I can for him as a friend; but as a pretender
to the position of my son-in law, that can never be thought of more."

And yet at that very moment the impracticability to which poor
Winterborne's suit had been reduced was touching Grace's heart to a
warmer sentiment on his behalf than she had felt for years concerning
him.