Framley Parsonage Anthony Trollope (best english novels for beginners .TXT) đ
- Author: Anthony Trollope
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âIt will be a terrible warning, Mrs. Quiverful, to us all; a most useful warning to usâ ânot to trust to the things of this world. I fear they made no inquiry about this young nobleman before they agreed that his name should be linked with that of their daughter.â This she said to the wife of the present warden of Hiramâs Hospital, a lady who had received favours from her, and was therefore bound to listen attentively to her voice.
âBut I hope it may not be true,â said Mrs. Quiverful, who, in spite of the allegiance due by her to Mrs. Proudie, had reasons of her own for wishing well to the Grantly family.
âI hope so, indeed,â said Mrs. Proudie, with a slight tinge of anger in her voice; âbut I fear that there is no doubt. And I must confess that it is no more than we had a right to expect. I hope that it may be taken by all of us as a lesson, and an ensample, and a teaching of the Lordâs mercy. And I wish you would request your husbandâ âfrom me, Mrs. Quiverfulâ âto dwell on this subject in morning and evening lecture at the hospital on Sabbath next, showing how false is the trust which we put in the good things of this world;â which behest, to a certain extent, Mr. Quiverful did obey, feeling that a quiet life in Barchester was of great value to him; but he did not go so far as to caution his hearers, who consisted of the aged bedesmen of the hospital, against matrimonial projects of an ambitious nature.
In this case, as in all others of the kind, the report was known to all the chapter before it had been heard by the archdeacon or his wife. The dean heard it, and disregarded it; as did also the deanâs wifeâ âat first; and those who generally sided with the Grantlys in the diocesan battles pooh-poohed the tidings, saying to each other that both the archdeacon and Mrs. Grantly were very well able to take care of their own affairs. But dripping water hollows a stone; and at last it was admitted on all sides that there was ground for fearâ âon all sides, except at Plumstead.
âI am sure there is nothing in it; I really am sure of it,â said Mrs. Arabin, whispering to her sister; âbut after turning it over in my mind, I thought it right to tell you. And yet I donât know now but I am wrong.â
âQuite right, dearest Eleanor,â said Mrs. Grantly. âAnd I am much obliged to you. But we understand it, you know. It comes, of course, like all other Christian blessings, from the palace.â And then there was nothing more said about it between Mrs. Grantly and her sister.
But on the following morning there arrived a letter by post, addressed to Mrs. Grantly, bearing the postmark of Littlebath. The letter ran:â â
Madam,
It is known to the writer that Lord Dumbello has arranged with certain friends how he may escape from his present engagement. I think, therefore, that it is my duty as a Christian to warn you of this.
Yours truly,
A Wellwisher.
Now it had happened that the embryo Mrs. Ticklerâs most intimate bosom friend and confidante was known at Plumstead to live at Littlebath, and it had also happenedâ âmost unfortunatelyâ âthat the embryo Mrs. Tickler, in the warmth of her neighbourly regard, had written a friendly line to her friend Griselda Grantly, congratulating her with all female sincerity on her splendid nuptials with the Lord Dumbello.
âIt is not her natural hand,â said Mrs. Grantly, talking the matter over with her husband, âbut you may be sure it has come from her. It is a part of the new Christianity which we learn day by day from the palace teaching.â
But these things had some effect on the archdeaconâs mind. He had learned lately the story of Lady Julia Mac Mull, and was not sure that his son-in-lawâ âas ought to be about to beâ âhad been entirely blameless in that matter. And then in these days Lord Dumbello made no great sign. Immediately on Griseldaâs return to Plumstead he had sent her a magnificent present of emeralds, which, however, had come to her direct from the jewellers, and might have beenâ âand probably wasâ âordered by his man of business. Since that he had neither come, nor sent, nor written. Griselda did not seem to be in any way annoyed by this absence of the usual sign of love, and went on steadily with her great duties. âNothing,â as she told her mother, âhad been said about writing, and, therefore, she did not expect it.â But the archdeacon was not quite at his ease. âKeep Dumbello up to his Pâs and Qâs, you know,â a friend of his had whispered to him at his club. By heavens, yes. The archdeacon was not a man to bear with indifference a wrong in such a quarter. In spite of his clerical profession, few men were more inclined to fight against personal wrongsâ âand few men more able.
âCan there be anything wrong, I wonder?â said he to his wife. âIs it worth while that I should
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