ester, the cathedral city of the county in which the Crawleys
lived, opinion was violently against Mr. Crawley. In the city Mrs
Proudie, the wife of the bishop, was the leader of opinion in
general, and she was very strong in her belief in the man's guilt.
She had known much of clergymen all her life, as it behoved a
bishop's wife to do, and she had none of that mingled weakness and
ignorance which taught so many ladies in Barsetshire to suppose that
an ordained clergyman could not become a thief. She hated old Lady
Lufton with all her heart, and old Lady Lufton hated her as warmly.
Mrs. Proudie would say frequently that Lady Lufton was a conceited old
idiot, and Lady Lufton would declare as frequently that Mrs. Proudie
was a vulgar virago. It was known at the palace in Barchester that
kindness had been shown to the Crawleys by the family at Framley
Hall, and this alone would have been sufficient to make Mrs. Proudie
believe that Mr. Crawley could have been guilty of any crime. And as
Mrs. Proudie believed, so did the bishop believe. "It is a terrible
disgrace to the diocese," said the bishop, shaking his head, and
patting his apron as he sat by his study fire.

"Fiddlestick!" said Mrs. Proudie.

"But, my dear,--a beneficed clergyman!"

"You must get rid of him; that's all. You must be firm whether he be
acquitted or convicted."

"But if he be acquitted, I cannot get rid of him, my dear."

"Yes, you can, if you are firm. And you must be firm. Is it not true
that he has been disgracefully involved in debt ever since he has
been there; that you have been pestered by letters from unfortunate
tradesmen who cannot get their money from him?"

"That is true, my dear, certainly."

"And is that kind of thing to go on? He cannot come to the palace
as all clergymen should do, because he has got no clothes to come
in. I saw him once about the lanes, and I never set my eyes on such
an object in all my life! I would not believe that the man was a
clergyman till John told me. He is a disgrace to the diocese, and
he must be got rid of. I feel sure of his guilt, and I hope he will
be convicted. One is bound to hope that a guilty man should be
convicted. But if he escape conviction, you must sequestrate the
living because of the debts. The income is enough to get an excellent
curate. It would just do for Thumble." To all of which the bishop
made no further reply, but simply nodded his head and patted his
apron. He knew that he c