fore his did so. The dean might
wish to employ his own lawyer, and if so the double expense should
be avoided. "Always remember, Mr. Robarts, that when you go into an
attorney's office door, you will have to pay for it, first or last.
In here, you see, the dingy old mahogany, bare as it is, makes you
safe. Or else it's the salt-cellar, which will not allow itself to be
polluted by six-and-eightpenny considerations. But there is the other
kind of tax to be paid. You must go up and see Mrs. Walker, or you
won't have her help in the matter."

Mr. Walker returned to his work, either to some private den within
his house, or to his office, and Mr. Robarts was taken upstairs to
the drawing-room. There he found Mrs. Walker and her daughter, and
Miss Anne Prettyman, who had just looked in, full of the story of Mr
Crawley's walk to Barchester. Mr. Thumble had seen one of Dr. Tempest's
curates, and had told the whole story--he, Mr. Thumble, having heard
Mrs. Proudie's version of what had occurred, and having, of course,
drawn his own deductions from her premises. And it seemed that Mr
Crawley had been watched as he passed through the close out of
Barchester. A minor canon had seen him, and had declared that he was
going at the rate of a hunt, swinging his arms on high and speaking
very loud, though,--as the minor canon said with regret,--the words
were hardly audible. But there had been no doubt as to the man. Mr
Crawley's old hat, and short rusty cloak, and dirty boots, had been
duly observed and chronicled by the minor canon; and Mr. Thumble had
been enabled to put together a not altogether false picture of what
had occurred. As soon as the greetings between Mr. Robarts and the
ladies had been made, Miss Anne Prettyman broke out again, just where
she had left off when Mr. Robarts came in. "They say that Mrs. Proudie
declared that she will have him sent to Botany Bay!"

"Luckily Mrs. Proudie won't have much to do in the matter," said Miss
Walker, who ranged herself, as to church matters, in ranks altogether
opposed to those commanded by Mrs. Proudie.

"She will have nothing to do with it, my dear," said Mrs. Walker; "and
I daresay Mrs. Proudie was not foolish enough to say anything of the
kind."

"Mamma, she would be foolish enough to say anything. Would she not Mr
Robarts?"

"You forget, Miss Walker, that Mrs. Proudie is in authority over me."

"So she is, for the matter of that," said the young lady; "but I know
very we