you the last time you were there; and how annoyed she was!"
"Lord Lufton won't be with me now, for he is still in Scotland. And the reason why I am going is this: Harold Smith and his wife will be there, and I am very anxious to know more of them. I have no doubt that Harold Smith will be in the government some day, and I can not afford to neglect such a man's acquaintance."
"But, Mark, what do you want of any government?"
"Well, Fanny, of course I am bound to say that I want nothing; neither in one sense do I; but nevertheless I shall go and meet the Harold Smiths."
"Could you not be back before Sunday?"
"I have promised to preach at Chaldicotes. Harold Smith is going to lecture at Barchester about the Australasian archipelago, and I am to preach a charity sermon on the same subject. They want to send out more missionaries."
"A charity sermon at Chaldicotes!"
"And why not? The house will be quite full, you know; and I dare say the Arabins will be there."
"I think not; Mrs. Arabin may get on with Mrs. Harold Smith, though I doubt that; but I'm sure she's not fond of Mrs. Smith's brother. I don't think she would stay at Chaldicotes."
"And the bishop will probably be there for a day or two."
"That is much more likely, Mark. If the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Proudie is taking you to Chaldicotes, I have not a word more to say."
"I am not a bit more fond of Mrs. Proudie than you are, Fanny," said the vicar, with something like vexation in the tone of his voice, for he thought that his wife was hard upon him. "But it is generally thought that a parish clergyman does well to meet his bishop now and then. And as I was invited there especially to preach while all these people are staying at the place, I could not well refuse." And then he got up, and, taking his candlestick, escaped to his dressing-room.
"But what am I to say to Lady Lufton?" his wife said to him in the course of the evening.
"Just write her a note, and tell her that you find I had promised to preach at Chaldicotes next Sunday. You'll go, of course."
