the Peacockes
because the woman had been beautiful, and was repaying himself for his
mercy by basking in her loveliness. There was no saying that there was
not some truth in this? Mrs. Wortle herself entertained a feeling of the
same kind. It was palpable, on the face of it, to all except Dr. Wortle
himself,--and to Mrs. Peacocke. Mrs. Stantiloup, who had made her way
into the palace, was quite convincing on this point. Everybody knew, she
said, that the Doctor went across, and saw the lady all alone, every day.
Everybody did not know that. If everybody had been accurate, everybody
would have asserted that he did this thing every other day. But the
matter, as it was represented to the Bishop by the ladies, with the
assistance of one or two clergymen in the Close, certainly seemed to
justify his lordship's interference.

But this that was threatened was very terrible. There was a determination
about the Doctor which made it clear to the Bishop that he would be as bad
as he said. When he, the Bishop, had spoken of scandal, of course he had
not intended to say that the Doctor's conduct was scandalous; nor had he
said anything of the kind. He had used the word in its proper sense,--and
had declared that offence would be created in the minds of people unless
an injurious report were stopped. "It is not enough to be innocent," he
had said, "but men must know that we are so." He had declared in that his
belief in Dr. Wortle's innocence. But yet there might, no doubt, be an
action for libel against the newspaper. And when damages came to be
considered, much weight would be placed naturally on the attention which
the Bishop had paid to the article. The result of this was that the
Bishop invited the Doctor to come and spend a night with him in the
palace.

The Doctor went, reaching the palace only just before dinner. During
dinner and in the drawing-room Dr. Wortle made himself very pleasant. He
was a man who could always be soft and gentle in a drawing-room. To see
him talking with Mrs. Rolland and the Bishop's daughters, you would not
have thought that there was anything wrong with him. The discussion with
the Bishop came after that, and lasted till midnight. "It will be for the
disadvantage of the diocese that this matter should be dragged into
Court,--and for the disadvantage of the Church in general that a clergyman
should seem to seek such redress against his bishop." So said the Bishop.

But the Doc