Framley Parsonage, Anthony Trollope [popular e readers txt] 📗

go up to London?” But Mrs. Grantly attributed it all to the palace doctrine. What could be more natural, looking at all the circumstances of the Tickler engagement? She therefore gave her voice against any steps being taken by the archdeacon.

A day or two after that Mrs. Proudie met Mrs. Arabin in the close and condoled with her openly on the termination of the marriage treaty;⁠—quite openly, for Mrs. Tickler⁠—as she was to be⁠—was with her mother, and Mrs. Arabin was accompanied by her sister-in-law, Mary Bold.

“It must be very grievous to Mrs. Grantly, very grievous indeed,” said Mrs. Proudie, “and I sincerely feel for her. But, Mrs. Arabin, all these lessons are sent to us for our eternal welfare.”

“Of course,” said Mrs. Arabin. “But as to this special lesson, I am inclined to doubt that it⁠—”

“Ah-h! I fear it is too true. I fear there is no room for doubt. Of course you are aware that Lord Dumbello is off for the Continent.”

Mrs. Arabin was not aware of it, and she was obliged to admit as much.

“He started four days ago, by way of Boulogne,” said Mrs. Tickler, who seemed to be very well up in the whole affair. “I am so sorry for poor dear Griselda. I am told she has got all her things. It is such a pity, you know.”

“But why should not Lord Dumbello come back from the Continent?” said Miss Bold, very quietly.

“Why not, indeed? I’m sure I hope he may,” said Mrs. Proudie. “And no doubt he will, some day. But if he be such a man as they say he is, it is really well for Griselda that she should be relieved from such a marriage. For, after all, Mrs. Arabin, what are the things of this world?⁠—dust beneath our feet, ashes between our teeth, grass cut for the oven, vanity, vexation, and nothing more!”⁠—well pleased with which variety of Christian metaphors Mrs. Proudie walked on, still muttering, however, something about worms and grubs, by which she intended to signify her own species and the Dumbello and Grantly sects of it in particular.

This now had gone so far that Mrs. Arabin conceived herself bound in duty to see her sister, and it was then settled in consultation at Plumstead that the archdeacon should call officially at the palace and beg that the rumour might be contradicted. This he did early on the next morning and was shown into the bishop’s study, in which he found both his lordship and Mrs. Proudie. The bishop rose to greet him with special civility, smiling his very sweetest on him, as though of all his clergy the archdeacon were the favourite; but Mrs. Proudie wore something of a gloomy aspect, as though she knew that such a visit at such an hour must have reference to some special business. The morning calls made by the archdeacon at the palace in the way of ordinary civility were not numerous.

On the present occasion he dashed at once into his subject. “I have called this morning, Mrs. Proudie,” said he, “because I wish to ask a favour from you.” Whereupon Mrs. Proudie bowed.

“Mrs. Proudie will be most happy, I am sure,” said the bishop.

“I find that some foolish people have been talking in Barchester about my daughter,” said the archdeacon; “and I wish to ask Mrs. Proudie⁠—”

Most women under such circumstances would have felt the awkwardness of their situation, and would have prepared to eat their past words with wry faces. But not so Mrs. Proudie. Mrs. Grantly had had the imprudence to throw Mr. Slope in her face⁠—there, in her own drawing-room, and she was resolved to be revenged. Mrs. Grantly, too, had ridiculed the Tickler match, and no too great niceness should now prevent Mrs. Proudie from speaking her mind about the Dumbello match.

“A great many people are talking about her, I am sorry to say,” said Mrs. Proudie; “but, poor dear, it is not her fault. It might have happened to any girl; only, perhaps, a little more care⁠—; you’ll excuse me, Dr. Grantly.”

“I have come here to allude to a report which has been spread about in Barchester, that the match between Lord Dumbello and my daughter has been broken off; and⁠—”

“Everybody in Barchester knows it, I believe,” said Mrs. Proudie.

—“and,” continued the archdeacon, “to request that that report may be contradicted.”

“Contradicted! Why, he has gone right away⁠—out of the country!”

“Never mind where he has gone to, Mrs. Proudie; I beg that the report may be contradicted.”

“You’ll have to go round to every house in Barchester then,” said she.

“By no means,” replied the archdeacon. “And perhaps it may be right that I should explain to the bishop that I came here because⁠—”

“The bishop knows nothing about it,” said Mrs. Proudie.

“Nothing in the world,” said his lordship. “And I am sure I hope that the young lady may not be disappointed.”

—“because the matter was so distinctly mentioned to Mrs. Arabin by yourself yesterday.”

“Distinctly mentioned! Of course it was distinctly mentioned. There are some things which can’t be kept under a bushel, Dr. Grantly; and this seems to be one of them. Your going about in this way won’t make Lord Dumbello marry the young lady.”

That was true; nor would it make Mrs. Proudie hold her tongue. Perhaps the archdeacon was wrong in his present errand, and so he now began to bethink himself. “At any rate,” said he, “when I tell you that there is no ground whatever for such a report you will do me the kindness to say that, as far as you are concerned, it shall go no further. I think, my lord, I am not asking too much in asking that.”

“The bishop knows nothing about it,” said Mrs. Proudie again.

“Nothing at all,” said the bishop.

“And as I must protest that I believe the information which has reached me on this head,” said Mrs. Proudie, “I do not see how it is possible that I should contradict it. I can easily understand your feelings, Dr. Grantly. Considering your daughter’s position the match was, as regards earthly wealth, a very great one. I do not wonder that you should be grieved at its being broken off; but I trust that this