tempt to stay longer than you have said.
But I'm sure you won't. God bless you, my own one! Mr. Jones gave us
the same sermon he preached the second Sunday after Easter. Twice in
the same year is too often. God bless you! The children _are quite
well_. Mark sends a big kiss.--Your own F."

Robarts, as he read this letter and crumpled the note up into his
pocket, felt that it was much more satisfactory than he deserved. He
knew that there must have been a fight, and that his wife, fighting
loyally on his behalf, had got the best of it; and he knew also that
her victory had not been owing to the goodness of her cause. He
frequently declared to himself that he would not be afraid of Lady
Lufton; but nevertheless these tidings that no reproaches were to be
made to him afforded him great relief. On the following Friday they
all went to the duke's, and found that the bishop and Mrs. Proudie
were there before them; as were also sundry other people, mostly
of some note either in the estimation of the world at large or of
that of West Barsetshire. Lord Boanerges was there, an old man who
would have his own way in everything, and who was regarded by all
men--apparently even by the duke himself--as an intellectual king,
by no means of the constitutional kind--as an intellectual emperor,
rather, who took upon himself to rule all questions of mind without
the assistance of any ministers whatever. And Baron Brawl was of the
party, one of Her Majesty's puisne Judges, as jovial a guest as ever
entered a country house; but given to be rather sharp withal in his
jovialities. And there was Mr. Green Walker, a young but rising man,
the same who lectured not long since on a popular subject to his
constituents at the Crewe Junction. Mr. Green Walker was a nephew of
the Marchioness of Hartletop, and the Marchioness of Hartletop was a
friend of the Duke of Omnium's. Mr. Mark Robarts was certainly elated
when he ascertained who composed the company of which he had been so
earnestly pressed to make a portion. Would it have been wise in him
to forgo this on account of the prejudices of Lady Lufton?

As the guests were so many and so great, the huge front portals of
Gatherum Castle were thrown open, and the vast hall, adorned with
trophies--with marble busts from Italy and armour from Wardour
Street--was thronged with gentlemen and ladies, and gave forth
unwonted echoes to many a footstep. His grace himself, when Mark
arrived there with Sowerby