kind; and as Mr. Sowerby contrived to sit next to Miss Dunstable,
thereby overturning a little scheme made by Mr. Supplehouse, he again
shone forth in unclouded good humour. But Mr. Harold Smith became
impatient immediately on the withdrawal of the cloth. The lecture was
to begin at seven, and according to his watch that hour had already
come. He declared that Sowerby and Supplehouse were endeavouring to
delay matters in order that the Barchesterians might become vexed
and impatient; and so the bishop was not allowed to exercise his
hospitality in true episcopal fashion.

"You forget, Sowerby," said Supplehouse, "that the world here for the
last fortnight has been looking forward to nothing else."

"The world shall be gratified at once," said Mrs. Harold, obeying a
little nod from Mrs. Proudie. "Come, my dear," and she took hold of
Miss Dunstable's arm, "don't let us keep Barchester waiting. We shall
be ready in a quarter of an hour, shall we not, Mrs. Proudie?" and so
they sailed off.

"And we shall have time for one glass of claret," said the bishop.

"There; that's seven by the cathedral," said Harold Smith, jumping
up from his chair as he heard the clock. "If the people have come it
would not be right in me to keep them waiting, and I shall go."

"Just one glass of claret, Mr. Smith, and we'll be off," said the
bishop.

"Those women will keep me an hour," said Harold, filling his glass,
and drinking it standing. "They do it on purpose," He was thinking
of his wife, but it seemed to the bishop as though his guest were
actually speaking of Mrs. Proudie.

It was rather late when they all found themselves in the big room of
the Mechanics' Institute; but I do not know whether this on the whole
did them any harm. Most of Mr. Smith's hearers, excepting the party
from the palace, were Barchester tradesmen with their wives and
families; and they waited, not impatiently, for the big people. And
then the lecture was gratis, a fact which is always borne in mind
by an Englishman when he comes to reckon up and calculate the way
in which he is treated. When he pays his money, then he takes his
choice; he may be impatient or not as he likes. His sense of justice
teaches him so much, and in accordance with that sense he usually
acts. So the people on the benches rose graciously when the palace
party entered the room. Seats for them had been kept in the front.
There were three arm-chairs, which were filled, after some little