’Oh，dear；oh，dear；oh，dear，’saidthebishop。
’Whydoyoufretyourselfinthatway？’
’Becauseyouwillgetmeintotrouble。Itellyoutheonlythingtobedoneistoissueacommissionwiththeruraldeanattheheadofit。’
’Thenissueacommission。’
’Andtheywilltakethreemonths。’
’Whyshouldtheytakethreemonths？Whyshouldtheytakemorethanthreedays——orthreehours？Itisallplainsailing。’
’Moreshameforthemwhomakeitso。’
’Butitisso。IfIweretotakelegalproceedingsagainsthim，itwouldcost——ohdear——morethanathousandpounds，Ishouldsay。’
’Ifitcoststwo，youmustdoit，’MrsProudie’sangerwasstillveryhot，orshewouldnothavespokenofanunremunerativeoutlayofmoneyinsuchlanguageasthat。
Inthismannershedidnotcometounderstand，beforethearrivalofMrChadwick，thatherhusbandcouldtakenolegalstepstowardssilencingMrCrawleyuntilacommissionofclergymenhadbeenappointedtoinquireintothematter，andthatthecommissionshouldbeheadedbytheruraldeanwithinthelimitsofwhoseruraldeanerytheparishofHogglestockwassituated，orbysomebeneficedparochialclergymanofreputeintheneighbourhood。NowtheruraldeanwasDrTempestofSilverbridge——whohadheldthatpositionbeforethecomingofDrProudietothediocese；
andtherehadgrownupinthebosomofMrsProudieastrongfeelingthatunduemercyhadbeenshowntoMrCrawleybythemagistratesofSilverbridge，ofwhomDrTempesthadbeenone。’Thesemagistrateshadtakenbailforhisappearanceattheassizes，insteadofcommittinghimtoprisonatonce——astheywereboundtodo，whensuchanoffenceasthathadbeencommittedbyaclergyman。But，no；——eventhoughtherewasaclergymenamongthem，theyhadthoughtnothingofthesoulsofthepoorpeople！’Insuchlanguage，MrsProudiehadspokenoftheaffairatSilverbridge，andhavingoncecommittedherselftosuchanopinion，ofcourseshethoughtthatDrTempestwouldgothroughfireandwaterandwouldomitnostretchofwhatlittlejudicialpowermightbecommittedtohishands——withtheviewofopposinghisbishop，andmaintainingtheculpritinisposition。’Insuchacaseasthis，cannotyounameanactingruraldeanyourself？DrTempest，youknow，isveryold。’’No，mydear；no；Icannot。’’YoucanaskMrChadwick，atanyrate，andthenyoucouldnameMrThumble。’’ButMrThumbledoesn’tevenholdalivinginthediocese。Oh，dear；oh，dear；oh，dear！’AndsothematterrestedtillMrChadwickcame。
MrsProudiehadnodoubtintendedtohaveMrChadwickalltoherself——atanyratesoastoencounterhiminthefirstinstance。Buthavingbeenatlengthconvincedthattheinquirybytheruraldeanwasreallynecessaryasapreliminary，andhavingalsosleptuponthequestionofexpenditure，shegavedirectionthatthelawyershouldbeshownintothebishop’sstudy，andshetookcaretobeabsentatthemomentofhisarrival。OfcourseshedidnotintendthatMrChadwickshouldleavethepalacewithouthavingheardwhatshehadtosay，butshethoughtthatitwouldbewellthatheshouldbemadetoconceivethatthoughthesummonshadbeenwrittenbyher，ithadreallybeenintendedonthepartofthebishop。’MrChadwickwillbewithyouateleven，bishop，’shesaid，asshegotupfromthebreakfast—table，atwhichshelefthislordshipwithtwoofhisdaughtersandwithamarriedson—in—law，aclergymanwhowasstayinginthehouse。’Verywell，mydear，’saidthebishop，withasmile——forhewasanxiousnottobetrayanyvexationathiswife’sinterferencebeforehisdaughtersortheRevMrTickler。Butheunderstooditall。MrChadwickhadbeensentforwithreferencetoMrCrawley，andhewasdriven——absolutelydriven，toproposetohislawyerthatthiscommissionofinquiryshouldbeissued。
PunctuallyatelevenMrChadwickcame，wearingaverylongfaceasheenteredthepalacedoor——forhefeltthathewouldinallprobabilitybenowcompelledtoquarrelwithMrsProudie。Muchhecouldbear，buttherewasalimittohisendurance。Shehadneverabsolutelysentforhimbefore，thoughshehadofteninterferedwithhim。’Ishallhavetotellherabitofmymind，’hesaid，ashesteppedacrosstheClose，habitedinhisbestsuitofblack，withmostexactwhitecravat，andyetlookingnotquitelikeaclergyman——withsometouchoftheundertakerinhisgait。Whenhefoundthathewasshownintothebishop’sroom，andthatthebishopwasthere——thebishoponly——hismindwasrelieved。Itwouldhavebeenbetterthatthebishopshouldhavewrittenhimself，orthatthechaplainshouldhavewritteninhislordship’sname；that，however，wasatrifle。
Butthebishopdidnotknowwhattosaytohim。Ifheintendedtodirectaninquirytobemadebytheruraldean，itwouldbebynomeansbecomingthatheshouldconsultMrChadwickastodoingso。Itmightbewell，orifnotwellatanyratenotimproper，thatheshouldmakeapplicationtoDrTempestthroughMrChadwick；butinthatcasehemustgivetheorderatonce，andhestillwishedtoavoiditifitwerepossible。Sincehehadbeeninthediocesenocasesograveasthishadbeenpusheduponhim。Theinterventionoftheruraldeaninanordinarywayhehadused——hadbeenmadetouse——morethanonce，byhiswife。A
vicarhadbeenabsentalittletoolongfromoneparish，andtherehadbeenrumoursaboutbrandy—and—waterinanother。OncehehadbeenverynearlyindeepwaterbecauseMrsProudiehadtakenitindudgeonthatacertainyoungrector，whohadbeenleftawidower，hadaprettygovernessforhischildren；andtherehadbeenthatcase，sadlynotoriousinthedioceseatthetime，ofourexcellentfriendMrRobartsofFramley，whenthebailiffswereinthehousebecausehecouldn’tpayhisdebts——orrather，thedebtsofhisfriendforwhomhehadsignedbills。Butinallthesecasessomegoodfortunehadintervened，andhehadbeensavedfromtheterriblenecessityofanyulteriorprocess。Butnow——nowhewasbeingdrivenbeyondhimself，andalltonopurpose。IfMrsProudiewouldonlywaitthreemonthsthecivillawwoulddoitallforhim。ButherewasMrChadwickintheroom，andheknewthatitwouldbeuselessforhimtoattempttotalktoMrChadwichaboutothermatters，andsodismisshim。ThewifeofhisbosomwouldbedownuponthembeforeChadwickcouldbeoutoftheroom。
’H—m—ha。Howd’yedo，MrChadwick——won’tyousitdown？’MrChadwickthankedhislordship，andsatdown。’It’sverycold，isn’tit，MrChadwick？’
’Ahardfrost，mylord，butabeautifulday。’
’Won’tyoucomenearthefire？’ThebishopknewthatMrsProudiewasontheroad，andhadaneyetotheproperstrategicalpositionofhisforces。MrsProudiewouldcertainlytakeupherpositioninacertainchairfromwhencethelightenabledhertorakeherhusbandthoroughly。
Whatadvantageshemighthavefromthishecouldnotprevent；——buthecouldsoplaceMrChadwick，thatthelawyershouldbemorethanwithinreachofhiseyethanthatofhiswife。Sothebishoppointedtoanarm—chairoppositetohimselfandnearthefire，andMrChadwickseatedhimselfaccordingly。
’ThisisaverysadaffairaboutMrCrawley，’saidthebishop。
’Verysaidindeed，’saidthelawyer。’Ineverpitiedamansomuchinmylife，mylord。’
Thiswasnotexactlythelinewhichthebishopwasdesirousoftaking。
’Ofcourseheistobepitied；——ofcourseheis。ButfromallIhear，MrChadwick，Iamafraid——Iamafraidwemustnotacquithim。’
’Astothat，mylord，hehastostandhistrial，ofcourse。’
’But，yousee，MrChadwick，regardinghimasabeneficedclergyman——withacureofsouls——thequestioniswhetherIshouldbejustifiedinleavinghimwhereheistillhistrialshallcomeon。’
’Ofcourseyourlordshipknowsbestaboutthat，but——’
’Iknowthereisadifficulty。Iknowthat。ButIaminclinedtothinkthatintheinterestsoftheparishIamboundtoissueacommissionofinquiry。’
’Ibelieveryourlordshiphasattemptedtosilencehim，andthathehasrefusedtocomply。’
’Ithoughtitbetterforeverybody’ssake——especiallyforhisown，thatheshouldforawhileberelievedfromhi...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：