people desire to introduce all sorts of changes of
which no one could foresee the end? Religion, she was deeply convinced,
had long since attained its final development, nor could it enter into
the heart of reasonable man to conceive any faith more perfect than was
inculcated by the Church of England. She could imagine no position more
honourable than that of a clergyman's wife unless indeed it were a
bishop's. Considering his father's influence it was not at all
impossible that Theobald might be a bishop some day--and then--then would
occur to her that one little flaw in the practice of the Church of
England--a flaw not indeed in its doctrine, but in its policy, which she
believed on the whole to be a mistaken one in this respect. I mean the
fact that a bishop's wife does not take the rank of her husband.

This had been the doing of Elizabeth, who had been a bad woman, of
exceeding doubtful moral character, and at heart a Papist to the last.
Perhaps people ought to have been above mere considerations of worldly
dignity, but the world was as it was, and such things carried weight with
them, whether they ought to do so or no. Her influence as plain Mrs
Pontifex, wife, we will say, of the Bishop of Winchester, would no doubt
be considerable. Such a character as hers could not fail to carry weight
if she were ever in a sufficiently conspicuous sphere for its influence
to be widely felt; but as Lady Winchester--or the Bishopess--which would
sound quite nicely--who could doubt that her power for good would be
enhanced? And it would be all the nicer because if she had a daughter
the daughter would not be a Bishopess unless indeed she were to marry a
Bishop too, which would not be likely.

These were her thoughts upon her good days; at other times she would, to
do her justice, have doubts whether she was in all respects as
spiritually minded as she ought to be. She must press on, press on, till
every enemy to her salvation was surmounted and Satan himself lay bruised
under her feet. It occurred to her on one of these occasions that she
might steal a march over some of her contemporaries if she were to leave
off eating black puddings, of which whenever they had killed a pig she
had hitherto partaken freely; and if she were also careful that no fowls
were served at her table which had had their necks wrung, but only such
as had had their throats cut and been allowed to bleed. St Paul and the
Church of Jerusalem had in