Mrs. Houghton hurt herself. I happened to jump it, and the thing became
talked about because of her accident. After that we came out on the
Brotherton road, and I went back to Manor Cross. Do not suppose that I
should have been ashamed of myself if I had gone on even half a dozen
more fields."

"I'm sure you wouldn't."

"The thing in itself is not bad. Nevertheless,--thinking as the world
around us does about hunting,--a clergyman in my position would be
wrong to hunt often. But a man who can feel horror at such a thing as
this is a prig in religion. If, as is more likely, a man affects
horror, he is a hypocrite. I believe that most clergymen will agree
with me in that; but there is no clergyman in the diocese of whose
agreement I feel more certain than of yours."

"It is the letter, not the hunting, to which I object."

"There was an apparent cowardice in refraining from answering such an
attack. I am aware, Canon, of a growing feeling of hostility to
myself."

"Not in the Chapter?"

"In the diocese. And I know whence it comes, and I think I understand
its cause. Let what will come of it I am not going to knock under. I
want to quarrel with no man, and certainly with no clergyman,--but I am
not going to be frightened out of my own manner of life or my own
manner of thinking by fear of a quarrel."

"Nobody doubts your courage; but what is the use of fighting when there
is nothing to win. Let that wretched newspaper alone. It is beneath you
and me, Dean."

"Very much beneath us, and so is your butler beneath you. But if he
asks you a question, you answer him. To tell the truth I would rather
they should call me indiscreet than timid. If I did not feel that it
would be really wrong and painful to my friends I would go out hunting
three days next week, to let them know that I am not to be cowed."

There was a good deal said at Manor Cross about the newspaper
correspondence, and some condemnation of the Dean expressed by the
ladies, who thought that he had lowered himself by addressing a reply
to the editor. In the heat of discussion a word or two was spoken by
Lady Susanna,--who entertained special objections to all things
low,--which made Mary very angry. "I think papa is at any rate a better
judge than you can be," she said. Between sisters as sisters generally
are, or even sisters-in-laws, this would not be much; but at Manor
Cross it was felt to be misconduct. Mary was so much younger than they
were! And th