ke will be against you, when you are getting up
into your pulpit to-morrow, and sending the hat round among the
clod-hoppers of Chaldicotes."

"Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones; eh, Baron?"
said Miss Dunstable. "Mr. Robarts's sermon will be too near akin to
your lecture to allow of his laughing."

"If we can do nothing towards instructing the outer world till it's
done by the parsons," said Harold Smith, "the outer world will have
to wait a long time, I fear."

"Nobody can do anything of that kind short of a member of Parliament
and a would-be minister," whispered Mrs. Harold. And so they were all
very pleasant together, in spite of a little fencing with edge-tools;
and at three o'clock the _cortege_ of carriages started for
Barchester, that of the bishop, of course, leading the way. His
lordship, however, was not in it.

"Mrs. Proudie, I'm sure you'll let me go with you," said Miss
Dunstable, at the last moment, as she came down the big stone steps.
"I want to hear the rest of that story about Mr. Slope." Now this
upset everything. The bishop was to have gone with his wife, Mrs.
Smith, and Mark Robarts; and Mr. Sowerby had so arranged matters that
he could have accompanied Miss Dunstable in his phaeton. But no one
ever dreamed of denying Miss Dunstable anything. Of course Mark gave
way; but it ended in the bishop declaring that he had no special
predilection for his own carriage, which he did in compliance with
a glance from his wife's eye. Then other changes of course followed,
and, at last, Mr. Sowerby and Harold Smith were the joint occupants
of the phaeton. The poor lecturer, as he seated himself, made some
remark such as those he had been making for the last two days--for
out of a full heart the mouth speaketh. But he spoke to an impatient
listener. "D---- the South Sea islanders," said Mr. Sowerby.
"You'll have it all your own way in a few minutes, like a bull in a
china-shop; but for Heaven's sake let us have a little peace till
that time comes." It appeared that Mr. Sowerby's little plan of
having Miss Dunstable for his companion was not quite insignificant;
and, indeed, it may be said that but few of his little plans were
so. At the present moment he flung himself back in the carriage
and prepared for sleep. He could further no plan of his by a
_tete-a-tete_ conversation with his brother-in-law. And then Mrs.
Proudie began her story about Mr. Slope, or rather recommenced it.
She was