re not
numerous. On the present occasion he dashed at once into his subject.
"I have called this morning, Mrs. Proudie," said he, "because I wish
to ask a favour from you." Whereupon Mrs. Proudie bowed.

"Mrs. Proudie will be most happy, I am sure," said the bishop.

"I find that some foolish people have been talking in Barchester
about my daughter," said the archdeacon; "and I wish to ask Mrs.
Proudie--"

Most women under such circumstances would have felt the awkwardness
of their situation, and would have prepared to eat their past words
with wry faces. But not so Mrs. Proudie. Mrs. Grantly had had
the imprudence to throw Mr. Slope in her face--there, in her own
drawing-room, and she was resolved to be revenged. Mrs. Grantly, too,
had ridiculed the Tickler match, and no too great niceness should now
prevent Mrs. Proudie from speaking her mind about the Dumbello match.

"A great many people are talking about her, I am sorry to say," said
Mrs. Proudie; "but, poor dear, it is not her fault. It might have
happened to any girl; only, perhaps, a little more care--; you'll
excuse me, Dr. Grantly."

"I have come here to allude to a report which has been spread about
in Barchester, that the match between Lord Dumbello and my daughter
has been broken off; and--"

"Everybody in Barchester knows it, I believe," said Mrs. Proudie.

"--and", continued the archdeacon, "to request that that report may
be contradicted."

"Contradicted! Why, he has gone right away,--out of the country."

"Never mind where he has gone to, Mrs. Proudie; I beg that the report
may be contradicted."

"You'll have to go round to every house in Barchester then," said
she.

"By no means," replied the archdeacon. "And, perhaps, it may be right
that I should explain to the bishop that I came here because--"

"The bishop knows nothing about it," said Mrs. Proudie.

"Nothing in the world," said his lordship. "And I am sure I hope that
the young lady may not be disappointed."

"--because the matter was so distinctly mentioned to Mrs. Arabin by
yourself yesterday."

"Distinctly mentioned! Of course it was distinctly mentioned. There
are some things which can't be kept under a bushel, Dr. Grantly; and
this seems to be one of them. Your going about in this way won't make
Lord Dumbello marry the young lady." That was true; nor would it make
Mrs. Proudie hold her tongue. Perhaps the archdeacon was wrong in
his present errand, and so he now began to b