t Lefroy had been with the Doctor, because he was sent for
considerably before the time fixed for the interview.

It was his chief resolve to hold his own before the Doctor. The Doctor,
who could read a character well, had so read that of Mr. Peacocke's as to
have been aware from the first that no censure, no fault-finding, would be
possible if the connection were to be maintained. Other ushers, other
curates, he had occasionally scolded. He had been very careful never even
to seem to scold Mr. Peacocke. Mr. Peacocke had been aware of it
too,--aware that he could not endure it, and aware also that the Doctor
avoided any attempt at it. He had known that, as a consequence of this,
he was bound to be more than ordinarily prompt in the performance of all
his duties. The man who will not endure censure has to take care that he
does not deserve it. Such had been this man's struggle, and it had been
altogether successful. Each of the two understood the other, and each
respected the other. Now their position must be changed. It was hardly
possible, Mr. Peacocke thought, as he entered the house, that he should
not be rebuked with grave severity, and quite out of the question that he
should bear any rebuke at all.

The library at the rectory was a spacious and handsome room, in the centre
of which stood a large writing-table, at which the Doctor was accustomed
to sit when he was at work,--facing the door, with a bow-window at his
right hand. But he rarely remained there when any one was summoned into
the room, unless some one were summoned with whom he meant to deal in a
spirit of severity. Mr. Peacocke would be there perhaps three or four
times a-week, and the Doctor would always get up from his chair and stand,
or seat himself elsewhere in the room, and would probably move about with
vivacity, being a fidgety man of quick motions, who sometimes seemed as
though he could not hold his own body still for a moment. But now when
Mr. Peacocke entered the room he did not leave his place at the table.
"Would you take a chair?" he said; "there is something that we must talk
about."

"Colonel Lefroy has been with you, I take it."

"A man calling himself by that name has been here. Will you not take a
chair?"

"I do not know that it will be necessary. What he has told you,--what I
suppose he has told you,--is true."

"You had better at any rate take a chair. I do not believe that what he
has told me is true."

"But