that you refuse to appoint me!"

"I do then, most positively."

"But I have a copy of my letter to your lordship, and your answer."

"Then you may urge your claim by law, if you please."

"No, indeed, my lord, I do not think I will do that." And then, after a
short pause, I said, "You have done for me what I could not dare do for
myself, though I have often been tempted to do it."

"And pray, what is that?" he inquired.

"To give up parochial ministration, that I may be free to preach
wherever I am led."

"Could you do that?"

"I could not do it conscientiously myself; but now that you have
stripped me of harness, I will put on no more."

The Bishop made his bow, and I made mine; and that was the end of our
interview. In my unconverted days I used to be an ardent and
enthusiastic admirer of this man; his charges, his speeches, and
especially his withering, sarcastic letters to Lord John Russell and
others, who came under his tremendous lash, to my mind made him a great
hero. His straight forward manner also commanded my respect, for,
generally speaking, I had found bishops very smooth and two-sided, or
rather both-sided; but in his ease there was no mistake.

It used to be a proud time for me when this Bishop came into Cornwall,
and I was permitted to accompany him, and to act as his chaplain at the
consecration of a church or burial ground, or to attend him when he went
to a Confirmation. Sometimes I had the happy privilege of rowing him in
a boat on the sea. He seemed to take such an affectionate and
intelligent interest in my parish and my church work. He asked various
questions about my neighbours, just as if he lived among them and knew
all their circumstances. He struck me as a wonderful man, and I was his
champion upon all occasions in my unconverted days. Notwithstanding
this, he was too honest to his own views to favour me after my
conversion.

On my return home without a license, I had but a poor account to give,
and the future prospect looked very gloomy.

CHAPTER 26

Plymouth, 1855.

I occasionally preached in the parish church, and went to the daily
Communion and the daily service. My spare time I occupied (it was like
going back to brick-making in Egypt) in painting the church. I laboured
for hours and hours to try and make this great chalk-pit of a place look
somewhat ecclesiastical. All round the church I painted a diaper
pattern, surmounted with a border, which went over the doors an