the sick poor to whom he could
not give relief in money, turning a woman's mangle for a couple
of hours, and carrying a boy's load along the lanes. Dr. Tempest
and others declared that he had derogated from the dignity of
his position as an English parish clergyman by such acts; but,
nevertheless, the stories of these deeds acted strongly on the minds
of both men and women, creating an admiration for Mr. Crawley which
was much stronger than the condemnation of his guilt.

Even Mrs. Walker and her daughter, and the Miss Prettymans, had so
far given way that they had ceased to asseverate their belief in
Mr. Crawley's innocence. They contented themselves now with simply
expressing a hope that he would be acquitted by a jury, and that when
he should be so acquitted the thing might be allowed to rest. If he
had sinned, no doubt he had repented. And then there were serious
debates whether he might not have stolen the money without much sin,
being mad or half-mad,--touched with madness when he took it; and
whether he might not, in spite of such temporary touch of madness,
be well fitted for his parish duties. Sorrow had afflicted him
grievously; but that sorrow, though it had incapacitated him for the
management of his own affairs, had not rendered him unfit for the
ministrations of his parish. Such were the arguments now used in
his favour by the women around him; and the men were not keen to
contradict them. The wish that he should be acquitted and allowed to
remain in his parsonage was very general.

When therefore it became known that the bishop had decided to put on
foot another investigation, with the view of bringing Mr. Crawley's
conduct under ecclesiastical condemnation, almost everybody accused
the bishop of persecution. The world of the diocese declared that Mrs
Proudie was at work, and that the bishop himself was no better than
a puppet. It was in vain that certain clear-headed men among the
clergy, of whom Dr. Tempest himself was one, pointed out that the
bishop after all might perhaps be right;--that if Mr. Crawley were
guilty, and if he should be found to have been so by a jury, it might
be absolutely necessary that an ecclesiastical court should take some
cognizance of the crime beyond that taken by the civil law. "The
jury," said Dr. Tempest, discussing the case with Mr. Robarts and other
clerical neighbours,--"the jury may probably find him guilty and
recommend him to mercy. The judge will have heard his ch