archdeacon hated Dr. Proudie
as a partisan,--whereas Dr. Tempest opposed the bishop on certain
principles which he endeavoured to make clear, at any rate to
himself. "Wrong!" said the archdeacon, speaking of the bishop's
intention of issuing a commission--"of course he is wrong. How could
anything right come from him or from her? I should be sorry to have
to do his bidding."

"I think you are a little hard upon Bishop Proudie," said Dr. Tempest.

"One cannot be hard upon him," said the archdeacon. "He is so
scandalously weak, and she is so radically vicious, that they cannot
but be wrong together. The very fact that such a man should be a
bishop among us is to me terribly strong evidence of evil days
coming."

"You are more impulsive than I am," said Dr. Tempest. "In this case I
am sorry for the poor man, who is, I am sure, honest in the main. But
I believe that in such a case your father would have done just what
the present bishop is doing;--that he could have done nothing else;
and as I think that Dr. Proudie is right I shall do all that I can to
assist him in the commission."

The bishop's secretary had written to Dr. Tempest, telling him of the
bishop's purpose; and now, in one of the last days of March, the
bishop himself wrote to Dr. Tempest, asking him to come over to the
palace. The letter was worded most courteously, and expressed very
feelingly the great regret which the writer felt at being obliged to
take these proceedings against a clergyman in his diocese. Bishop
Proudie knew how to write such a letter. By the writing of such
letters, and by the making of speeches in the same strain, he had
become Bishop of Barchester. Now, in this letter, he begged Dr
Tempest to come over to him, saying how delighted Mrs. Proudie would
be to see him at the palace. Then he went on to explain the great
difficulty which he felt, and great sorrow also, in dealing with
this matter of Mr. Crawley. He looked, therefore, confidently for Dr
Tempest's assistance. Thinking to do the best for Mr. Crawley, and
anxious to enable Mr. Crawley to remain in quiet retirement till the
trial should be over, he had sent a clergyman over to Hogglestock,
who would have relieved Mr. Crawley from the burden of the
church-services;--but Mr. Crawley would have none of this relief.
Mr. Crawley had been obstinate and overbearing, and had persisted
in claiming his right to his own pulpit. Therefore was the bishop
obliged to interfere legally, a