Barchester Towers

rdship had, as we have seen, taken his seat on his throne; but his demeanour there, into which it had been his inten

ce that in truth he meant all that his factotum was saying on his behalf; nor yet did he dare throw

lace with his mind very doubtful as to what he would say to his chaplain on the subject. He did not remain long in doubt. He h

sublime, more spirit-moving, mor

m-he!' The bishop did

you don't mean to

that if he intended to disapprove, it must be now or never; but he also felt that it could not be now. It wa

d very well intended, and I dare say will do a great deal of good.' This last prais

which Mr Harding sings the litany? I shall beg Mr Slope to continue a course of sermons on the subject till all that is altered. We will have at

d church services than his wife did, and also more of the bishop's

think we must go back

ng here will be very

rnme

t; and he also felt that by thus retreating from the ground of

ain here, of cours

rse,' said

on being then over. During that time Mr Slope was not idle, but he did not again assay to preach in the cathedral. In answer to Mrs Proudie's let

op's feelings about that, in a manner which was to them sufficiently annoying, but which they could not resent. He preached once or twice in a distant church in the suburbs of the city, but made no allusion to the cathedral service. He commenced the establishment of the 'Bishop of Barch

reet, and were dispatched by the odious Sabbath-breaking railway, in a huge brown paper parcel to Mr Slope. Everybody calling himself a gentleman, or herself a lady, within the city of Barchester, and a circle of two miles round it, was included. Tickets were sent to all th

he bishop just ground of umbrage. They all met in conclave and agreed to go. The old dean would crawl in, if it were but for half an hour. The chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, prebendaries, and minor canons would all go, and would take their wives. Mr Harding was especially bidden to go, resolving in his heart to keep himself removed from Mrs Proudie. And Mrs Bold was determi

t the residence waiting for them. No one in Barchester had seen them; and what better opportunity could they have of showing themselves to the Barchester world? Som

invitation; but she herself had fully determined that she would accept it. If her father

nsist wholly of parsons and parsons' wives. 'Parsons, I suppose, are much the same as other men, if you strip them of thei

age, but such was the gist of his thoughts. It was not because Madeline was a cripple that he shrank from seeing her made one of the bishop's guests; but because he knew that she would practise her accustomed lures, and behave herself in a way that could not fail of being distasteful to the propriety of Englishwomen. These things had annoyed but

d to send, if possible, every parson's wife home with a green fit of jealousy. None could be too old for her, and hardly any too young. None too sanctified, and none too worldly. She was quite prepared to entrap

m the prettiest little billet in the world. In five lines she explained everything, declared how impossible it was for her not to be desirous to make the acquaintance of such persons as the bishop of Barchester and his wife, and she might add also of Mr Slope, depicted her own grievous state, and concluded by being assured

had been much to do. No company had been seen in the palace since heaven knows when. New furniture had been required, new pots and pans, new cups and saucers, new dishes and plates. Mrs Proudie had first declared that she would condescend to nothing so vu

d been Bishop Grantly's bed-room, and another his common, sitting-room and study. The present bishop, however, had been moved down into a back parlour, and had been given to understand that he coul

up with commendable economy. Large rooms when full of people, and full of light look well, because they are large, and are full, and are light. Small rooms are those which req

s to be gone. Carriages were to come in at the gate in the town and depart at the gate outside. They w

tairs giving the last orders about the wine. He well understood that curates and country vicars with their belongings did not require so generous an article as the

himself down, 'don't sit on that sofa, if you

ane-bottomed chair. 'A lady?' he inquired meek

ular lady,' said his wif

papa,' said the younge

the bishop, op

got legs, but she can't use them. She has always to be kept

I'm quite sure I wouldn't like it. Am I right behind, mama? I feel

to Mrs Richards, if she can't take the trouble to see whether or no you are fit to be looked at,' and Mrs Proudie poked t

ity about the mysterious lady and her legs, 'who is i

lf gently, and touched her cap on each side as she looked in the mirror. Each of the girls stood on t

whispered the bishop t

ispered back the daughter; 'and mind y

more astonished. La Signora Madeline Vicinironi, who, having no legs to stand on, had bespoken a sofa in his drawing-room!-who could she be? He however could now make no further inquiry, as Dr and

ed to make the acquaintance of one of whom he had heard so much. The doctor bowed very low, and then looked as though he could not return the complim

learned in stones, ferns, plants, and vermin, and who had written a book about petals. A wonderful woman in her way was Miss Trefoil. Mr Finnie, the attorney, with his wife, was to be seen, much to the dismay of many who had never met him in a drawing-room before. The five Barchester doctors were all there, and old Scalpen, the retired apothecary and toothdrawer, who wa

hands very heartily with Dr Stanhope, and Mrs Grantly seated herself by the doctor's wife. And Mrs Proudie moved about with well regulated grace, measuring out the quantity of her favours to the quali

His mind was so preoccupied with the signora, that h

, who heard it as he was standing in the drawing-room, knew that his daughter was coming, and retired to the furthest corner, where he might not see her entrance. Mrs Proudie parked herself up, f

an Italian man-servant who was accustomed to the work; her feet were in the care of the lady's maid and the lady's Italian page; and Charlotte Stanhope followed to see that all was done with due grace and decorum. In this manner they climbed easily into the drawing-room,

lovely azure, and the colour of his chubby cheeks the clearest pink. On the one arm which her position required her to expose she wore three magnificent bracelets, each of different stones. Beneath her on the sofa, and over the cushion and head of it, was spread a crimson silk mantle or shawl, which went under her whole body and con

oman for some min

of some whether he were a friend or a domestic. The same doubt was felt as to Ethelbert. The man was attired in a loose-fitting common black cloth morning coat. He had a jaunty well-pleased clean face, on which no atom of beard appeared, a

d very short. It was lined with silk of azure blue. He had on a blue satin waistcoat, a blue handkerchief which was fastened beneath his thro

also was a servant, and therefore tried to make way fo