ay;
then she could play her part and become somebody in the episcopal
work. When once she should have been allowed liberty of speech,
the enemy would be powerless to stop her. But all this Dr. Tempest
understood quite as well as she understood it, and had they waited
till night he would not have been the first to mention Mr. Crawley's
name.

The bishop sighed aloud. The sigh might be taken as expressing grief
over the sin of the erring brother whose conduct they were then to
discuss, and was not amiss. But when the sigh with its attendant
murmurs had passed away it was necessary that some initiative step
should be taken. "Dr. Tempest," said the bishop, "what are we to do
about this poor stiff-necked gentleman?" Still Dr. Tempest did not
speak. "There is no clergyman in the diocese," continued the bishop,
"in whose prudence and wisdom I have more confidence than in yours.
And I know, too, that you are by no means disposed to severity where
severe measures are not necessary. What ought we to do? If he has
been guilty, he should not surely return to his pulpit after the
expiration of such punishment as the law of his country may award
him."

Dr. Tempest looked at Mrs. Proudie, thinking that she might perhaps
say a word now; but Mrs. Proudie knew her part better and was silent.
Angry as she was, she contrived to hold her peace. Let the debate
once begin and she would be able to creep into it, and then to lead
it,--and so she would hold her own. But she had met a foe as wary
as herself. "My lord," said the doctor, "it will perhaps be well
that you should communicate your wishes to me in writing. If it be
possible for me to comply with them I will do so."

"Yes;--exactly; no doubt;--but I thought that perhaps we might better
understand each other if we had a few words of quiet conversation
upon the subject. I believe you know the steps that I have--"

But here the bishop was interrupted. Dr. Tempest rose from his chair,
and advancing to the table put both hands upon it. "My lord," he
said, "I feel myself compelled to say that which I would very much
rather leave unsaid, were it possible. I feel the difficulty, and
I may say delicacy, of my position; but I should be untrue to my
conscience and to my feeling of what is right in such matters, if I
were to take any part in a discussion on this matter in the presence
of--a lady."

"Dr. Tempest, what is your objection?" said Mrs. Proudie, rising from
her chair, and coming a