Three months have passed since Mr. Slope's sermon. The Archdeacon, in trying to avoid having any open churches in which Mr. Slope could preach, recalls all of the clergymen who have left their churches vacant. The biggest offender in this case is Dr. Stanhope, who has been living in Italy for the past twelve years while still collecting his salary from his vacant church in England. Under threat of being exposed to the national church council, Dr. Stanhope and his family must return to England to put in an appearance.
The Stanhope family consists of Dr. Stanhope, his wife, and their three children. Both Dr. Stanhope and his wife are used to luxury and idleness and do very little actively. Their oldest daughter, Charlotte, runs the household, not out of kindness but out of.....
