s last chronicle of Barsetshire. Have they not been
written in other chronicles? "When poor papa does go, what will you
do about St Ewold's?" said Mrs. Grantly, trembling inwardly. A word
too much might, as she well knew, settle the question against Mr
Crawley for ever. But were she to postpone the word till too late,
the question would be settled as fatally.

"I haven't thought about it," he said sharply. "I don't like thinking
of such things while the incumbent is still living." Oh, archdeacon,
archdeacon! unless that other chronicle be a false chronicle, how
hast thou forgotten thyself and thy past life! "Particularly not,
when that incumbent is your father," said the archdeacon. Mrs. Grantly
said nothing more about St Ewold's. She would have said as much as
she had intended to say if she had succeeded in making the archdeacon
understand that St Ewold's would be a very nice refuge for Mr. Crawley
after all the miseries which he had endured at Hogglestock.

They learned as they entered the deanery that Mrs. Baxter had already
heard of Mrs. Arabin's return. "Oh yes, ma'am. Mr. Harding got a letter
hisself, and I got another,--separate; both from Venice, ma'am. But
when master is to come, nobody seems to know." Mrs. Baxter knew that
the dean had gone to Jerusalem, and was inclined to think that from
such distant bournes there was no return for any traveller. The East
is always further than the West in the estimation of the Mrs. Baxters
of the world. Had the dean gone to Canada, she would have thought
that he might come back to-morrow. But still there was the news to
be told of Mr. Crawley, and there was also joy to be expressed at the
sudden coming back of the much-wished-for mistress of the deanery.

"It's so good of you to come both together," said Mr. Harding.

"We thought we should be too many for you," said the archdeacon.

"Too many! Oh dear, no. I like to have people by me; and as for
voices and noise, and all that, the more the better. But I am weak.
I'm weak in my legs. I don't think I shall ever stand again."

"Yes, you will," said the archdeacon.

"We have brought you good news," said Mrs. Grantly.

"It is not good news that Nelly will be home this week? You can't
understand what a joy it is to me. I used to think sometimes, at
night, that I should never see her again. That she would come back in
time was all I have wished for." He was lying on his back, and as he
spoke he pressed his withered hands t