第134章

'He is hard put to it, my lord. I know the man and his pride. The dean has spoken of him to me more than once, and nobody knows him so well as the dean. If I might venture to offer an opinion--'

'Good morning, Mr Chadwick,' said Mrs Proudie, coming into the room and taking her accustomed seat. 'No thank you, no; I will stay away from the fire, if you please. His lordship has spoken to you no doubt about this unfortunate wretched man.'

'We are speaking of him now, my dear.'

'Something must of course be done to put a stop to the crying disgrace of having such a man preaching from a pulpit in this diocese. When Ithink of the souls of the people in that poor village, my hair literally stands on end. And then he is disobedient!'

'That is the worst of it,' said the bishop. 'It would have been so much better for himself if he would have allowed me to provide quietly for the services till the trial be over.'

'I could have told you that, my lord, that he would not do that, from what I knew of him,' said Mr Chadwick.

'But he must do it,' said Mrs Proudie. 'He must be made to do it.'

'His lordship will find it difficult,' said Mr Chadwick.

'I can issue a commission, you know, to the rural dean,' said the bishop mildly.

'Yes, you can do that. And Dr Tempest in two months' time will have named his assessors--'

'Dr Tempest must not name them; the bishop must name them,' said Mrs Proudie.

'It is customary to leave that to the rural dean,' said Mr Chadwick.

'The bishop no doubt can object to anyone named.'

'And can specially select any clergyman he pleases from the archdeaconry,' said the bishop. 'I have known it done.'

'The rural dean in such a case has probably been an old man, and not active,' said the lawyer.

'And Dr Tempest is a very old man,' said Mrs Proudie, 'and in such a matter not at all trustworthy. He was one of the magistrates who took bail.'

'His lordship could hardly set him aside,' said the lawyer. 'At any rate I would not recommend him to try. I think you might suggest a commission of five, and propose two of the number yourself. I do not think that in such a case Dr Tempest would raise any question.'

At last it was settled in this way. Mr Chadwick was to prepare a letter to Dr Tempest, for the bishop's signature, in which the doctor should be requested, as the rural dean to whom Mr Crawley was subject, to hold a commission of five to inquire into Mr Crawley's conduct. The letter was to explain to Dr Tempest that the bishop, moved by his solicitude for the souls of the people of Hogglestock, had endeavoured, 'in a friendly way,' to induce Mr Crawley to desist from his ministrations; but that having failed through Mr Crawley's obstinacy, he had no alternative but to proceed in this way. 'You had better say that his lordship, as bishop of the diocese, can take no heed of the coming trial,' said Mrs Proudie.

'I think his lordship had better say nothing at all about the trial,' said Mr Chadwick. 'I think it will be best,' said the bishop.

'But if they report against him,' said Mr Chadwick, 'you can only then proceed in the ecclesiastical court--at your own expense.'

'He'll hardly be so obstinate as that,' said the bishop.

'I'm afraid you don't know him, my lord,' said the lawyer. The bishop, thinking of the scene which had taken place in that very room only yesterday, felt that he did know Mr Crawley, and felt also that the hope which he had just expressed was one in which he himself put no trust.

But something might turn up; and it was devoutly to be hoped that Dr Tempest would take a long time over his inquiry. The assizes might come on as soon as it was terminated, or very shortly afterwards; and then everything might be well. 'You won't find Dr Tempest very ready at it,' said Mr Chadwick. The bishop in his heart was comforted by the words.

'But he must be made to be ready to do his duty,' said Mrs Proudie, imperiously. Mr Chadwick shrugged his shoulders, then got up, spoke his farewell little speeches, and left the palace.