"Mr. Robarts, I thank you warmly for your friendship," said Mr
Crawley. And then they parted. In about half an hour Mr. Crawley
returned to the house. "Now for Pindar, Jane," he said, seating
himself at his old desk.

CHAPTER LXIX

Mr. Crawley's Last Appearance in His Own Pulpit

No word or message from Mr. Crawley reached Barchester throughout
the week, and on the Sunday morning Mr. Thumble was under a positive
engagement to go out to Hogglestock, and to perform the services of
the church. Dr. Tempest had been quite right in saying that Mr. Thumble
would be awed by the death of his patroness. Such was altogether
the case, and he was very anxious to escape from the task he had
undertaken at her instance, if it were possible. In the first place,
he had never been a favourite with the bishop himself, and had now,
therefore, nothing to expect in the diocese. The crusts from bits of
loaves and the morsels of broken fishes which had come his way had
all come from the bounty of Mrs. Proudie. And then, as regarded this
special Hogglestock job, how was he to get paid for it? Whence,
indeed, was he to seek repayment for the actual money which he would
be out of pocket in finding his way to Hogglestock and back again?
But he could not get to speak to the bishop, nor could he induce any
one who had access to his lordship to touch upon the subject. Mr
Snapper avoided him as much as possible; and Mr. Snapper, when he was
caught and interrogated, declared that he regarded the matter as
settled. Nothing could be in worse taste, Mr. Snapper thought, than to
undo, immediately after the poor lady's death, work in the diocese
which had been arranged and done by her. Mr. Snapper expressed his
opinion that Mr. Thumble was bound to go out to Hogglestock; and, when
Mr. Thumble declared petulantly that he would not stir a step out of
Barchester, Mr. Snapper protested that Mr. Thumble would have to answer
for it in this world and in the next if there were no services at
Hogglestock on that Sunday. On the Saturday evening Mr. Thumble made a
desperate attempt to see the bishop, but was told by Mrs. Draper that
the bishop had positively declined to see him. The bishop himself
probably felt unwilling to interfere with his wife's doings so soon
after her death! So Mr. Thumble, with a heavy heart, went across to
the "Dragon of Wantly", and ordered a gig, resolving that the bill
should be sent in to the palace. He was not going to trust