t,--"does not obtrude
itself in my household, as would be the threadbare texture of mine
in yours;--I can open my mouth to you and converse with you at my
ease; you are now to me that Frank Arabin who has so comforted me
and so often confuted me; whom I may perhaps on an occasion have
confuted--and perhaps have comforted. But were I sitting with you in
your library in Barchester, my threadbare coat would be too much for
me. I should be silent, if not sullen. I should feel the weight of
all my poverty, and the greater weight of all your wealth. For my
children, let them go. I have come to know that they will be better
away from me."

"Papa!" said Jane.

"Papa does not mean it," said Grace, coming up to him and standing
close to him.

There was silence amongst them for a few moments, and then the master
of the house shook himself,--literally shook himself, till he had
shaken off the cloud. He had taken Grace by the hand, and thrusting
out the other arm had got it round Jane's waist. "When a man has
girls, Arabin," he said, "as you have, but not big girls yet like
Grace here, of course he knows that they will fly away."

"I shall not fly away," said Jane.

"I don't know what papa means," said Grace.

Upon the whole the dean thought it the pleasantest visit he had ever
made to Hogglestock, and when he got home he told his wife that he
believed that the accusation made against Mr. Crawley had done him
good. "I could not say a word in private to her," he said, "but I did
promise that you would go in and see her." On the very next day Mrs
Arabin went over, and I think that the visit was a comfort to Mrs
Crawley.

CHAPTER LXXX

Miss Demolines Desires to Become a Finger-post

John Eames had passed Mrs. Thorne in the hall of her own house almost
without noticing her as he took his departure from Lily Dale. She had
told him as plainly as words could speak that she could not bring
herself to be his wife,--and he had believed her. He had sworn to
himself that if he did not succeed now he would never ask her again.
"It would be foolish and unmanly to do so," he said to himself as he
rushed along the street towards his club. No! That romance was over.
At last there had come an end to it! "It has taken a good bit out of
me," he said, arresting his steps suddenly that he might stand still
and think of it all. "By George, yes! A man doesn't go through that
kind of thing without losing some of the caloric. I couldn't