us counterpoise of sentiment, sent him up-stairs to
see "my wife," feeling, even while half envious of him, a kind of
superiority and half contempt for the man who was not a Rector and
married, but had given up both these possibilities. When he sent him
up-stairs to see "my wife," Mr Morgan looked after the elderly celibate
with a certain pity. One always feels more inclined to take the simple
view of any matter--to stand up for injured innocence, and to right the
wronged--when one feels one's self better off than one's neighbours. A
reverse position is apt to detract from the simplicity of one's
conceptions, and to suggest two sides to the picture. When Mr Proctor
was gone, the Rector addressed himself with great devotion to Elsworthy
and his evidence. It could not be doubted, at least, that the man was
in earnest, and believed what he said; and things unquestionably looked
rather ugly for Mr Wentworth. Mr Morgan took down all about the Curate's
untimely visit to Elsworthy on the night when he took Rosa home; and
when he came to the evidence of the Miss Hemmings, who had seen the
Curate talking to the unfortunate little girl at his own door the last
time she was seen in Carlingford, the Rector shook his head with a
prolonged movement, half of satisfaction, half of regret; for, to be
sure, he had made up his mind beforehand who the culprit was, and it was
to a certain extent satisfactory to have his opinion confirmed.

"This looks very bad, very bad, I am sorry to say," said Mr Morgan;
"for the unhappy young man's own sake, an investigation is absolutely
necessary. As for you, Elsworthy, everybody must be sorry for you.
Have you no idea where he could have taken the poor girl?--that is,"
said the uncautious Rector, "supposing that he is guilty--of which I
am afraid there does not seem much doubt."

"There aint no doubt," said Elsworthy; "there aint nobody else as
could have done it. Just afore my little girl was took away, sir, Mr
Wentworth went off of a sudden, and it was said as he was a-going home
to the Hall. I was a-thinking of sending a letter anonymous, to ask if
it was known what he was after. I read in the papers the other day as
his brother was a-going over to Rome. There don't seem to be none o'
them the right sort; which it's terrible for two clergymen. I was
thinking of dropping a bit of a note anonymous--"

"No--no--no," said the Rector, "that would never do; nothing of that
sort, Elsworthy. If you thoug