e been the best able to talk, but perhaps she was
not very anxious for a conversation with Miss Robarts.

"So, Robarts, I hear that you have been preaching at Chaldicotes,"
said the archdeacon, still rather loudly. "I saw Sowerby the other
day, and he told me that you gave them the fag end of Mrs. Proudie's
lecture."

"It was ill-natured of Sowerby to say the fag end," said Robarts. "We
divided the matter into thirds. Harold Smith took the first part, I
the last--"

"And the lady the intervening portion. You have electrified the
county between you; but I am told that she had the best of it."

"I was so sorry that Mr. Robarts went there," said Lady Lufton, as
she walked into the dining-room leaning on the archdeacon's arm.

"I am inclined to think he could not very well have helped himself,"
said the archdeacon, who was never willing to lean heavily on a
brother parson, unless on one who had utterly and irrevocably gone
away from his side of the Church.

"Do you think not, archdeacon?"

"Why, no: Sowerby is a friend of Lufton's--"

"Not particularly," said poor Lady Lufton, in a deprecating tone.

"Well, they have been intimate; and Robarts, when he was asked to
preach at Chaldicotes, could not well refuse."

"But then he went afterwards to Gatherum Castle. Not that I am vexed
with him at all now, you understand. But it is such a dangerous
house, you know."

"So it is.--But the very fact of the duke's wishing to have a
clergyman there, should always be taken as a sign of grace, Lady
Lufton. The air was impure, no doubt; but it was less impure with
Robarts there than it would have been without him. But, gracious
heavens! what blasphemy have I been saying about impure air? Why,
the bishop was there!"

"Yes, the bishop was there," said Lady Lufton, and they both
understood each other thoroughly.

Lord Lufton took out Mrs. Grantly to dinner, and matters were so
managed that Miss Grantly sat on his other side. There was no
management apparent in this to anybody; but there she was, while
Lucy was placed between her brother and Captain Culpepper. Captain
Culpepper was a man with an enormous moustache, and a great aptitude
for slaughtering game; but as he had no other strong characteristics
it was not probable that he would make himself very agreeable to poor
Lucy. She had seen Lord Lufton once, for two minutes, since the day
of that walk, and then he had addressed her quite like an old friend.
It had been in t