en sorry to keep him from so much more amusing a
party."

"Now, Justinia, you are unfair. You intend to imply that he has gone
to Chaldicotes, because he likes it better than Framley Court; but
that is not the case. I hope Lady Lufton does not think that it is."

Lady Meredith laughed as she put her arm round her friend's waist.
"Don't lose your eloquence in defending him to me," she said. "You'll
want all that for my mother."

"But is your mother angry?" asked Mrs. Robarts, showing by her
countenance how eager she was for true tidings on the subject.

"Well, Fanny, you know her ladyship as well as I do. She thinks so
very highly of the vicar of Framley, that she does begrudge him to
those politicians at Chaldicotes."

"But, Justinia, the bishop is to be there, you know."

"I don't think that that consideration will at all reconcile my
mother to the gentleman's absence. He ought to be very proud, I know,
to find that he is so much thought of. But come, Fanny, I want you to
walk back with me, and you can dress at the house. And now we'll go
and look at the children."

After that, as they walked together to Framley Court, Mrs. Robarts
made her friend promise that she would stand by her if any serious
attack were made on the absent clergyman.

"Are you going up to your room at once?" said the vicar's wife,
as soon as they were inside the porch leading into the hall. Lady
Meredith immediately knew what her friend meant, and decided that the
evil day should not be postponed. "We had better go in and have it
over," she said, "and then we shall be comfortable for the evening."
So the drawing-room door was opened, and there was Lady Lufton alone
upon the sofa.

"Now, mamma," said the daughter, "you mustn't scold Fanny much
about Mr. Robarts. He has gone to preach a charity sermon before
the bishop, and, under those circumstances, perhaps, he could not
refuse." This was a stretch on the part of Lady Meredith--put in
with much good-nature, no doubt; but still a stretch; for no one had
supposed that the bishop would remain at Chaldicotes for the Sunday.

"How do you do, Fanny?" said Lady Lufton, getting up. "I am not
going to scold her; and I don't know how you can talk such nonsense,
Justinia. Of course, we are very sorry not to have Mr. Robarts; more
especially as he was not here the last Sunday that Sir George was
with us. I do like to see Mr. Robarts in his own church, certainly;
and I don't like any other clergym