your
energies! It cannot be that I have had a hypocrite beside me in all
those eager controversies!

"Not a hypocrite--not a hypocrite," said Mark, in a tone which was
almost reduced to sobbing.

"But a castaway! Is it so that I must call you? No, Mr. Robarts,
not a castaway; neither a hypocrite, nor a castaway; but one who
in walking has stumbled in the dark and bruised his feet among
the stones. Henceforth let him take a lantern in his hand, and
look warily to his path, and walk cautiously among the thorns and
rocks--cautiously, but yet boldly, with manly courage, but Christian
meekness, as all men should walk on their pilgrimage through this
vale of tears." And then, without giving his companion time to stop
him he hurried out of the room, and from the house, and without
again seeing any others of the family, stalked back on his road to
Hogglestock, thus tramping fourteen miles through the deep mud in
performance of the mission on which he had been sent.

It was some hours before Mr. Robarts left his room. As soon as he
found that Crawley was really gone, and that he should see him no
more, he turned the lock of his door, and sat himself down to think
over his present life. At about eleven his wife knocked, not knowing
whether that other strange clergyman were there or no, for none had
seen his departure. But Mark, answering cheerily, desired that he
might be left to his studies. Let us hope that his thoughts and
mental resolves were then of service to him.

CHAPTER XVI

Mrs. Podgens' Baby

The hunting season had now nearly passed away, and the great ones
of the Barsetshire world were thinking of the glories of London.
Of these glories Lady Lufton always thought with much inquietude
of mind. She would fain have remained throughout the whole year at
Framley Court, did not certain grave considerations render such a
course on her part improper in her own estimation. All the Lady
Luftons of whom she had heard, dowager and ante-dowager, had always
had their seasons in London, till old age had incapacitated them for
such doings--sometimes for clearly long after the arrival of such
period. And then she had an idea, perhaps not altogether erroneous,
that she annually imported back with her into the country somewhat of
the passing civilization of the times:--may we not say an idea that
certainly was not erroneous? for how otherwise is it that the forms
of new caps and remodelled shapes for women's waists find