MORTIMER TEMPEST.

The Rev. Josiah Crawley,
Hogglestock.

In the same envelope Dr. Tempest sent a short private note, in which
he said that he should be very happy to see Mr. Crawley at half-past
one on the Monday named, that luncheon would be ready at that hour,
and that, as Mr. Crawley's attendance was required on public grounds,
he would take care that a carriage was provided for the day.

Mr. Crawley received this letter in his wife's presence, and read it
in silence. Mrs. Crawley saw that he paid close attention to it, and
was sure,--she felt that she was sure,--that it referred in some
way to the terrible subject of the cheque for twenty pounds. Indeed,
everything that came into the house, almost every word spoken there,
and every thought that came into the breast of any of the family,
had more or less reference to the coming trial. How could it be
otherwise? There was ruin coming on them all,--ruin and complete
disgrace coming on father, mother, and children! To have been accused
itself was very bad; but now it seemed to be the opinion of every one
that the verdict must be against the man. Mrs. Crawley herself, who
was perfectly sure of her husband's innocence before God, believed
that the jury would find him guilty,--and believed also that he had
become possessed of the money in some manner that would have been
dishonest, had he not been so different from other people as to be
entitled to be considered innocent where another man would have been
plainly guilty. She was full of the cheque for twenty pounds, and of
its results. When, therefore, he had read the letter through a second
time, and even then had spoken no word about it, of course she could
not refrain from questioning him. "My love," she said, "what is the
letter?"

"It is on business," he answered.

She was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "May I not know
the business?"

"No," said he; "not at present."

"Is it from the bishop?"

"Have I not answered you? Have I not given you to understand that,
for a while at least, I would prefer to keep the contents of
this epistle to myself?" Then he looked at her very sternly, and
afterwards turned his eyes upon the fireplace and gazed at the fire,
as though he were striving to read there something of his future
fate. She did not much regard the severity of his speech. That, too,
like the taking of the cheque itself, was to be forgiven him, because
he was different from other men.