第82章

'I never have had one myself,' said Mr Crawley. Now Mr Robarts had had more horses than one before now, and had been thought by some to have incurred greater expense than was befitting in his stable comforts. The subject, therefore, was a sore one, and he was worried a little. 'I just wanted to say a few words to you, Crawley,' he said, 'and if I am not occupying too much of your time--'

'My time is altogether at your disposal. Will you be seated?'

Then Mr Robarts sat down, and, swinging his hat between his legs, bethought himself how he should begin his work. 'We had the archdeacon over at Framley the other day,' he said. 'Of course you know the archdeacon?'

'I never had the advantage of any acquaintance with Dr Grantly. Of course I know him well by name, and also personally--that is, by sight.'

'And by character?'

'Nay; I can hardly so much as that. But I am aware that his name stands high with many of his order.'

'Exactly; that is what I mean. You know that his judgment is thought more of in clerical matters than that of any other clergyman in the county.'

'By a certain party, Mr Robarts.'

'Well, yes. They don't think much of him, I suppose, in the palace. But that won't lower him in your estimation.'

'I by no means derogate from Dr Grantly's high position in his own archdeaconry--to which, as you are aware, I am not attached --nor to criticise his conduct in any respect. It would therefore be unbecoming in me to do so. But I cannot accept it as a point in a clergyman's favour, that he should be opposed to his bishop.'

Now this was too much for Mr Robarts. After all that he had heard of the visit paid by Mr Crawley to the palace--of the venom displayed by Mrs Proudie on that occasion, and of the absolute want of subordination to episcopal authority which Mr Crawley himself was supposed to have shown--Mr Robarts did feel it hard that his friend the archdeacon should be snubbed in this way because he was deficient in reverence for his bishop! 'I thought, Crawley,' he said, 'that you yourself were inclined to dispute orders coming to you from the palace. That world at least says as much concerning you.'

'What the world says of me I have learned to disregard very much, Mr Robarts. But I hope that I shall never disobey the authority of the Church when properly and legally exercised.'

'I hope with all my heart you never will; not I either. And the archdeacon, who knows, to the breadth of a hair, what a bishop ought to do and what he ought not, and what he may do and what he may not, will, I should say, be the last man in England to sin in that way.'

'Very probably. I am far from contradicting you there. Pray understand, Mr Robarts, that I bring no accusation against the archdeacon. Why should I?'

'I didn't mean to discuss him at all.'

'Nor did I, Mr Robarts.'

'I only mentioned his name, because, as I said, he was over with us the other day at Framley, and we were all talking about your affair.'

'My affair!' said Mr Crawley. And then came a frown upon his brow, and a gleam of fire into his eyes, which effectually banished that look of humility which he had assumed. 'And may I ask why the archdeacon was discussing--my affair?'

'Simply from the kindness which he bears to you.'

'I am grateful for the archdeacon's kindness, as a man is bound to be for any kindness, whether displayed wisely or unwisely. But it seems to me that my affair, as you call it, Mr Robarts, is of that nature that they who wish well to me will better further their wishes by silence than by any discussion.'

'Then I cannot agree with you.' Mr Crawley shrugged his shoulders, opened his hands a little and then closed them, and bowed his head. He could not have declared more clearly by any words that he differed altogether from Mr Robarts, and that as the subject was one so peculiarly his own he had a right to expect that his opinion should be allowed to prevail against that of any other person. 'If you come to that, you know, how is anybody's tongue to be stopped?'

'That vain tongues cannot be stopped, I am well aware. I do not expect that people's tongues should be stopped. I am not saying what men will do, but what good wishes should dictate.'

'Well, perhaps you'll hear me out for a minute.' Mr Crawley again bowed his head. 'Whether we were wise or unwise, we were discussing this affair.'

'Whether I stole Mr Soames's money?'

'No; nobody supposed for a moment you had stolen it.'

'I cannot how they can suppose anything else, knowing, as they do, that the magistrates have committed me for the theft. This took place at Framley, you say, and probably in Lord Lufton's presence.'

'Exactly.'

'And Lord Lufton was chairman at the sitting of the magistrates at which I was committed. How can it be that he should think otherwise?'

'I am sure that he has not an idea that you were guilty. Nor yet has Dr Thorne, who was also one of the magistrates. I don't suppose one of them then thought so.'

'Then their action, to say the least of it, was very strange.'

'It was all because you had nobody to manage it for you. I thoroughly believe that if you had placed the matter in the hands of a good lawyer, you would never have heard a word more about it. That seems to be the opinion of everybody I speak to on the subject.'

'Then in this country a man is to be punished or not, according to ability to fee a lawyer!'

'I am not talking about punishment.'