The Vicar of Bullhampton. Trollope Anthony

"I never heard of such conduct in all my life," said Lord Trowbridge, walking down to his carriage. "Who can be surprised that there should be murderers and prostitutes in the parish?"

      "My lord, they don't sit under me," said Mr. Puddleham.

      "I don't care who they sit under," said his lordship.

      As they walked away together, Mr. Fenwick had just a word to say to Mr. Puddleham. "My friend," he said, "you were quite right about his lordship's acres."

      "Those are the numbers," said Mr. Puddleham.

      "I mean that you were quite right to make the observation. Facts are always valuable, and I am sure Lord Trowbridge was obliged to you. But I think you were a little wrong as to another statement."

      "What statement, Mr. Fenwick?"

      "What you said about poor Carry Brattle. You don't know it as a fact."

      "Everybody says so."

      "How do you know she has not married, and become an honest woman?"

      "It is possible, of course. Though as for that, – when a young woman has once gone astray – "

      "As did Mary Magdalene, for instance!"

      "Mr. Fenwick, it was a very bad case."

      "And isn't my case very bad, – and yours? Are we not in a bad way, – unless we believe and repent? Have we not all so sinned as to deserve eternal punishment?"

      "Certainly, Mr. Fenwick."

      "Then there can't be much difference between her and us. She can't deserve more than eternal punishment. If she believes and repents, all her sins will be white as snow."

      "Certainly, Mr. Fenwick."

      "Then speak of her as you would of any other sister or brother, – not as a thing that must be always vile because she has fallen once. Women will so speak, – and other men. One sees something of a reason for it. But you and I, as Christian ministers, should never allow ourselves to speak so thoughtlessly of sinners. Good morning, Mr. Puddleham."

      CHAPTER XVIII.

      BLANK PAPER

      Early in October Captain Marrable was called up to town by letters from Messrs. Block and Curling, and according to promise wrote various letters to Mary Lowther, telling her of the manner in which his business progressed. All of these letters were shown to Aunt Sarah, – and would have been shown to Parson John were it not that Parson John declined to read them. But though the letters were purely cousinly, – just such letters as a brother might write, – yet Miss Marrable thought that they were dangerous. She did not say so; but she thought that they were dangerous. Of late Mary had spoken no word of Mr. Gilmore; and Aunt Sarah, through all this silence, was able to discover that Mr. Gilmore's prospects were not becoming brighter. Mary herself, having quite made up her mind that Mr. Gilmore's prospects, so far as she was concerned, were all over, could not decide how and when she should communicate the resolve to her lover. According to her present agreement with him, she was to write to him at once should she accept any other offer; and was to wait for six months if this should not be the case. Certainly, there was no rival in the field, and therefore she did not quite know whether she ought or ought not to write at once in her present circumstances of assured determination. She soon told herself that in this respect also she would go to her new-found brother for advice. She would ask him, and do just as he might bid her. Had he not already proved how fit a person he was to give advice on such a subject?