wley until a commission of clergymen had been
appointed to inquire into the matter, and that that commission
should be headed by the rural dean within the limits of whose rural
deanery the parish of Hogglestock was situated, or by some beneficed
parochial clergyman of repute in the neighbourhood. Now the rural
dean was Dr. Tempest of Silverbridge,--who had held that position
before the coming of Dr. Proudie to the diocese; and there had grown
up in the bosom of Mrs. Proudie a strong feeling that undue mercy had
been shown to Mr. Crawley by the magistrates of Silverbridge, of whom
Dr. Tempest had been one. "These magistrates had taken bail for his
appearance at the assizes, instead of committing him to prison at
once,--as they were bound to do, when such an offence as that had
been committed by a clergyman. But, no;--even though there was a
clergymen among them, they had thought nothing of the souls of the
poor people!" In such language Mrs. Proudie had spoken of the affair
at Silverbridge, and having once committed herself to such an
opinion, of course she thought that Dr. Tempest would go through fire
and water,--would omit no stretch of what little judicial power might
be committed to his hands,--with the view of opposing his bishop, and
maintaining the culprit in his position. "In such a case as this, can
not you name an acting rural dean yourself? Dr. Tempest, you know, is
very old." "No, my dear; no; I cannot." "You can ask Mr. Chadwick,
at any rate, and then you could name Mr. Thumble." "But Mr. Thumble
doesn't even hold a living in the diocese. Oh, dear; oh, dear; oh,
dear!" And so the matter rested until Mr. Chadwick came.

Mrs. Proudie had no doubt intended to have Mr. Chadwick all to
herself,--at any rate so to encounter him in the first instance. But
having been at length convinced that the inquiry by the rural dean
was really necessary as a preliminary, and having also slept upon the
question of expenditure, she gave directions that the lawyer should
be shown into the bishop's study, and she took care to be absent
at the moment of his arrival. Of course she did not intend that Mr
Chadwick should leave the palace without having heard what she had
to say, but she thought that it would be well that he should be made
to conceive that though the summons had been written by her, it
had really been intended on the part of the bishop. "Mr. Chadwick
will be with you at eleven, bishop," she said, as she got up from
t