one o'clock
Lily was contented to remain as she was , but Lily 's mother could not bring herself to be satisfied that her child should fill a lower place in the world than other girls . It had ever been her idea , -- an idea probably never absolutely uttered even to herself , but not the less practically conceived , -- that it is the business of a woman to be married . That her Lily should have been won and not worn , had been , and would be , a trouble to her for ever . Major Grantly went back to the inn and saw his horse fed , and smoked a cigar , and then , finding that it was still only just one o'clock , he started for a walk . He was careful not to go out of Allington by the road he had entered it , as he had no wish to encounter Grace and her friend on their return into the village ; so he crossed a little brook which runs at the bottom of the hill on which the chief street of Allington is built , and turned into a field-path to the left as soon as he had got beyond the houses . Not knowing the geography of the place he did not understand that by taking that path he was making his way back to the squire 's house ; but it was so ; and after sauntering on for about a mile and crossing back again over the stream , of which he took no notice , he found himself leaning across a gate , and looking into a paddock on the other side of which was the high wall of a gentleman 's garden . To avoid this he went on a little further and found himself on a farm road , and before he could retrace his steps so as not to be seen , he met a gentleman whom he presumed to be the owner of the house .