was among them, and felt all a patron's anger when she heard that her
clerical protege was about to seek such society. Mrs. Robarts might
well say that Lady Lufton would be annoyed.

"You won't call at the house before you go, will you?" the wife asked
on the following morning. He was to start after lunch on that day,
driving himself in his own gig, so as to reach Chaldicotes, some
twenty-four miles distant, before dinner.

"No, I think not. What good should I do?"

"Well, I can't explain; but I think I should call: pertly, perhaps,
to show her that, as I had determined to go, I was not afraid of
telling her so."

"Afraid! That's nonsense, Fanny. I'm not afraid of her. But I don't
see why I should bring down upon myself the disagreeable things she
will say. Besides, I have not time. I must walk up and see Jones
about the duties; and then, what with getting ready, I shall have
enough to do to get off in time."

He paid his visit to Mr. Jones, the curate, feeling no qualms
of conscience there, as he rather boasted of all the members of
Parliament he was going to meet, and of the bishop who would be with
them. Mr. Evan Jones was only his curate, and in speaking to him on
the matter he could talk as though it were quite the proper thing for
a vicar to meet his bishop at the house of a county member. And one
would be inclined to say that it was proper: only why could he not
talk of it in the same tone to Lady Lufton? And then, having kissed
his wife and children, he drove off, well pleased with his prospect
for the coming ten days, but already anticipating some discomfort on
his return.

On the three following days, Mrs. Robarts did not meet her ladyship.
She did not exactly take any steps to avoid such a meeting, but she
did not purposely go up to the big house. She went to her school as
usual, and made one or two calls among the farmers' wives, but put
no foot within the Framley Court grounds. She was braver than her
husband, but even she did not wish to anticipate the evil day. On the
Saturday, just before it began to get dusk, when she was thinking of
preparing for the fatal plunge, her friend, Lady Meredith, came to
her.

"So, Fanny, we shall again be so unfortunate as to miss Mr. Robarts,"
said her ladyship.

"Yes. Did you ever know anything so unlucky? But he had promised Mr.
Sowerby before he heard that you were coming. Pray do not think that
he would have gone away had he known it."

"We should have be