tion and other
necessary papers, saying that I would wait on his lordship for
institution on a certain day.

At the appointed time I went to him, when to my great surprise, he very
calmly said he could not appoint me to that district. I could not
understand this, for as I had told him, I had only resigned
conditionally, and reminded him that I had asked his permission to
resign, for the purpose of taking this district.

"How can I consciously appoint or license you to anything in my
diocese?" he said, looking me full in the face, and then in his
courteous way he laid his commands on me to stay to luncheon, saying he
would be obliged "if I would do him this honour;" he bade me walk in the
garden, as he was busy, and would be occupied till luncheon.

I felt that I needed a little quiet and fresh air to get over this
climax of my troubles--out of one living, and not into another; and that
with a wife, six children, and three servants, with very little to live
on. Here was a state of things! I had plenty to occupy my thoughts and
prayers. I feared and mourned, above everything, lest God should be
angry with me. "Oh, if I could only know this is the will of God, then I
should not care a fig for all the bishops on the bench, and would not
ask one of them for anything!"

I was soon roused from my reverie, by the presence of Miss C. P., the
Bishop's daughter, who had come out at her father's request to show me
the garden and the view. I had known this lady slightly for several
years, and so she was not altogether a stranger to me, or I to her. She
talked so cheerfully and pleasantly, that it came to my mind, "Perhaps
after all, the Bishop is only trying me. He will not appoint me to this
bare district, because he has something better with which he means to
surprise me." This sanguine thought cheered me up greatly. At luncheon
he was as kind and happy as if he had neither done anything
dishonourable, or had any intention of doing so; so that I felt quite
sure something good was coming. I began to wonder at intervals, "What
part of the diocese I was to be sent to?--Where is there a vacancy?" and
so on.

The Bishop was as friendly to me as he used to be in other days. After
the repast, he summoned me to his study again. "Now," I thought, "I
shall hear where I am to go;" but instead of this, he said that he was
"much engaged, and must take leave of me."

I was more than astonished at this, and said, "I can scarcely believe