had been within his power
when the extent of his calamity was more doubtful. I must not ask the
reader to suppose that he was cheerful. To have been cheerful under
such circumstances would have been inhuman. But he carried his head
on high, and walked firmly, and gave his orders at home with a clear
voice. His wife, who was necessarily more despondent than ever,
wondered at him,--but wondered in silence. It certainly seemed as
though the very extremity of ill-fortune was good for him. And he
was very diligent with his school, passing the greater part of the
morning with the children. Mr. Thumble had told him that he would come
on Sunday, and that he would then take charge of the parish. Up to
the coming of Mr. Thumble he would do everything in the parish that
could be done by a clergyman with a clear spirit and a free heart. Mr
Thumble should not find that spiritual weeds had grown rank in the
parish because of his misfortunes.

Mrs. Proudie had died on the Tuesday,--that having been the day of
Mr. Thumble's visit to Hogglestock,--and Mr. Robarts had gone over to
Silverbridge, in answer to Dr. Tempest's invitation, on the Thursday.
He had not, therefore, the command of much time, it being his express
object to prevent the appearance of Mr. Thumble at Hogglestock on
the next Sunday. He had gone to Silverbridge by railway, and had,
therefore, been obliged to postpone his visit to Mr. Crawley till
the next day; but early on the Friday morning he rode over to
Hogglestock. That he did not arrive there with a broken-kneed horse,
the reader may be quite sure. In all matters of that sort, Mr. Robarts
was ever above reproach. He rode a good horse, and drove a neat gig,
and was always well-dressed. On this account Mr. Crawley, though he
really liked Mr. Robarts, and was thankful to him for many kindnesses,
could never bear his presence with perfect equanimity. Robarts was
no scholar, was not a great preacher, had obtained no celebrity as a
churchman,--had, in fact, done nothing to merit great reward; and yet
everything had been given to him with an abundant hand. Within the
last twelvemonth his wife had inherited Mr. Crawley did not care to
know how many thousand pounds. And yet Mr. Robarts had won all that
he possessed by being a clergyman. Was it possible that Mr. Crawley
should regard such a man with equanimity? Robarts rode over with a
groom behind him,--really taking the groom because he knew that Mr
Crawley would have no