if I had the
power, I would put in a curate, and pay over the extra proceeds of
the living for your mother's maintenance. But I have no such power."

Arthur could not but think that it was very well his lordship had no
such power. If patrons in general were so privileged there would be,
he thought, but little chance for clergymen.

"As the law stands I cannot do that. But as you are luckily in
orders, I can put you in--on this understanding, that you shall
regard the income as belonging rather to your mother and to your
sisters than to yourself."

"If your lordship shall see fit to present me to the living, my
mother and sisters will of course want nothing that I can give them."

"Ah--h--h--h, my young friend! but that will not be sufficient for
me. I must have a pledge from you--your word as a gentleman and a
clergyman, that you take the living on an understanding that the
income is to go to your father's widow. Why should I give you five
hundred pounds a year? Eh? Tell me that. Why should I nominate a
young man like you to such a living? you, whom I never saw in my
life? Tell me that."

Arthur Wilkinson was a man sufficiently meek in spirit, as ordinary
meekness goes--the ordinary meekness, that is, of a young clergyman
of the Church of England--but he was not quite inclined to put up
with this.

"I am obliged, my lord, to say again that I have not asked for so
great a favour from you. Indeed, till I received your letter desiring
me to come here, I had no other thought of the living than that of
vacating the house whenever your nominee should present himself."

"That's all very well," said Lord Stapledean; "but you must be a
very unnatural son if on that account you refuse to be the means of
providing for your unfortunate mother and sisters."

"I refuse! why, my lord, I regard it as much my duty to keep my
mother and sisters from want as my father did. Whether I am to have
this living or no, we shall live together; and whatever I have will
be theirs."

"That's all very well, Mr. Wilkinson; but the question I ask you is
this: if I make you vicar of Hurst Staple, will you, after deducting
a fair stipend for yourself as curate--say one hundred and fifty
pounds a year if you will--will you make over the rest of the income
to your mother as long as she lives?"

This was a question to which Wilkinson found it very difficult to
give a direct answer. He hardly knew whether he would not be guilty
of simony in mak