Framley Parsonage

nce of the evil into which we have been precipitated by Adam's fall. When we confess that we are all sinners, we confess that we all long after naughty

ould say; nothing worse than the hunting of titles and worshipping of wealth. We all know this, and say it every day of our lives. But presuming that a way into the society

bishopric; but yet we do not believe that such personal disinclination is generally very strong. Mark's first thoughts when he woke on that morning flew back to Mr Fothergill's invitation. The duke had sent a special message to say how peculiarly glad he, the duke, would be to make acquaintance with him, the parson! How much of this message had been of Mr Fothergill's own manufacture, that Mark Robarts did not consider. He had obtained a living at an age when other young clergymen are beginning to think of a curacy, and he had

as parish priest he must in most things be the judge of his own actions - and in many also it was his duty to be the judge of those of his patroness. The fact of Lady Lufton having placed him in

with ease in society? He was very well off certainly at Framley; but he could never hope for anything beyond Framley, if he allowed himself to regard Lady Lufton as a bugbear. Putting Lady Lufton and her prejudices out of the question, was there any reason

his good income, he was not very flush of money. He had been down this year with Lord Lufton in Scotland. Perhaps it might be more prudent for him to return home. But then an idea came to him that it behoved him as priest to break through that Framley thralldom under which he felt tha

ing days got up rather for the ladies than for the sport. Great nuisances they are to steady, middle-aged hunting men; but the young fellows like them because they have thereby an opportunity of showing all their sporting finery, and of doing a little flirtation on horseback. The bishop, also

e was no end to his horses and carriages, his servants and retinue. He had been at this work for a great many years, and practice, they say, makes perfect. Such companions are very dangerous. There is no cholera, no yellow-fever, no small-pox, more contagious than debt. If one lives habitually among emb

ounds met was some four or five miles from the house of Chaldicotes,-'ride on with me a moment. I want to speak to you. And if I stay behi

me that you have some hesitation

now I am not a man of pleasure as you

said it, he looked with a kind of der

rby; and perhaps I have no right to

he world to ridicule your scruples about duty, if this hesitation on your part arose fr

othing of

n that she is able to hold both you and Lufton in leading-strings.' Robarts, of course denied the charge, and protested that he was not to be taken back to his parsonage by any fe

a curate if it be not to save him f

e a drudge how coul

friend than circumstances fully warrant; but I am an older man than you, and as I have

rby, I need hardly tell you th

such case, it may perhaps be useless for you to extend the circle of your friends; but if you have higher ideas than those, you will be very wrong to omit

m very much ob

popular in the county; but you cannot do it by obeying

nd you would say so

to her ideas. Now, here, in this case, the bishop of the diocese is to be one o

me if I we

hdeacon Grantly w

e a great point gained, for Archdeacon G

rrups, for he had caught the eye of the huntsman, who was surrounded by his hounds, and was now trotting on to join him. During a great portion of the day, Mark found himself riding by the side of Mrs Proudie, as that lady leaned back in her carriage. And Mrs Proudie smiled on him graciously, t

on Saturday evening, that you had all better come and dine with us.' Mark bowed and thanked her, and declared that he should be ver

Harold Smith, and Miss Dunstable, too, that we could manage to make room at any rate for them. But they will not leave the other ladies; so they

ning, the next morning would be Sunday; and, on that Sunday, he would have to preac

nd it; but you see M

ack here on the Sunday

ty, Mr Robarts; are they not? Now you must necessarily be back at Chaldicotes on Sunday morning!' And so the matter was settled. Mrs Proudie was very firm in general in the matter of Sabbath-day observances

and then the coachmen would drive very fast also, though they did not know why, for a fast pace of movement is another of those contagious diseases. And then again the sportsmen would move at an undertaker's pace, when the fox had traversed a

nting, is it?' sa

hunting,' sai

ld not do myself, except there was one young man sl

of bones, was there, my d

Smith, that I don't think much more of their sport than I do of their

r whipper-in. I wonder whethe

as they were all riding up to the stable-yard together. 'You will let

he duke is very

y so soon; and Miss Dunstable said she would make him her chaplain as soon as Parliament would allow quack doctors to have such articles - an allusion which Mark did not understand, till he learned that Miss Dunstable was herself the proprietress of the celebrated Oil of Lebanon, invented by her late respected father, and patented by him

that her husband was going to be a guest at the Duke of Omnium's. And he must tell her to send him money, and money was scarce. And then, as to Lady Lufton, should he send her some message, or should h

writing. Saturday would do well; and on Saturday morning, before they a

November, 185-

ished when I tell

further dissipati

s you supposed, ar

are - as you su

lways right. And w

hat I am to sleep

w that there is t

day. Well; we mus

ne of our set here

at we cannot get ba

there is no moon; a

cloth should be

nd and conscien

k, and I know that she will not be pleased, and I must put off my defence till I return to her from this ogre-land - if ever I get back alive. But joking apart, Fanny, I think that I should have been wrong to stand out, when so much was said about it. I should have been seeming to take upon myself to sit in judgement upon the duke. I doubt if there be a single clergyman in the diocese, under fifty years of age, who would have refused the invitation under such circumstances - unless it be Crawley, who is so mad on the subject that he thinks it alm

y. Not that Lady Lufton would ever like him. Make her understand that my going to the duke's house has almost become a matter of conscience with me. I have not known how to make it appear that it would be

annot spare it, get it from Davis. He owes me more than that, a good deal. And now, God bless and preserve

it as smooth at Framley Court as possible.' However strong, and reasonable, and unanswerable the body of Mark