The news made its way even to Hogglestock on the same
day. Mrs Crawley, when she heard it, went out
after her husband, who was in the school. ‘Dead!’
he said in answer to her whisper. ’Do you
tell me that the woman is dead?’ Then Mrs Crawley
explained that the tidings were credible. ‘May
God forgive her all her sins,’ said Mrs Crawley.
’She was a violent woman, certainly, and I think
that she misunderstood her duties; but I do not say
that she was a bad woman. I am inclined to think
that she was earnest in her endeavours to do good.’
It never occurred to Mr Crawley that he and his affair,
had, in truth, been the cause of her death.
It was thus that she was spoken of for a few days;
and the men and women ceased to speak much of her,
and began to talk of the bishop instead. A month
had not passed before it was surmised that a man so
long accustomed to the comforts of married life would
marry again; and even then one lady connected with
low-church clergymen in and around the city was named
as a probable successor to the great lady who was gone.
For myself I am inclined to think that the bishop will
for the future be content to lean upon his chaplain.
The monument that was put up to our friend’s
memory in one of the aisles of the choir of the cathedral
was supposed to be designed and executed in good taste.
There was a broken column, and on the column simply
the words ‘My beloved wife!’ Then there
was a slab by the column, bearing Mrs Proudie’s
name, with the date of her life and death. Beneath
this was the common inscription:-
‘Requiescat in pace.’
CHAPTER LXVIII
THE OBSTINACY OF MR CRAWLEY
Dr Tempest, when he heard the news, sent immediately
to Mr Robarts, begging him to come over to Silverbridge.
But this message was not occasioned solely by the
death of Mrs Proudie. Dr Tempest had also heard
that Mr Crawley had submitted himself to the bishop,
that instant advantage—and, as Dr Tempest
thought,—unfair advantage—had
been taken of Mr Crawley’s submission, and that
the pernicious Mr Thumble had been at once sent over
to Hogglestock. Had these palace doings with reference
to Mr Crawley been unaccompanied by the catastrophe
which had happened, the doctor, much as he might have
regretted them, would probably have felt that there
was nothing to be done. He could not in such case
have prevented Mr Thumble’s journey to Hogglestock
on the next Sunday, and certainly he could not have
softened the heart of the presiding genius at the
palace. But things were very different now.
The presiding genius was gone. Everybody at the
palace would be for a while weak and vacillating.
Thumble would be then thoroughly cowed; and it might
at any rate be possible to make some movement in Mr
Crawley’s favour. Dr Tempest, therefore,
sent for Mr Robarts.
Copyrights
The Last Chronicle of Barset from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
