The Last Chronicle of Barset
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Anthony Trollope
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Title: The Last Chronicle of Barset
Author: Anthony Trollope
Release Date: January, 2002 [eBook #3045]
[Most recently updated: January 16, 2007]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT BookishMall.com EBOOK THE
LAST CHRONICLE OF BARSET***
E-text prepared by Kenneth David Cooper
and revised by Joseph E. Loewenstein, M.D.
HTML version by Joseph E. Loewenstein, M.D.
THE LAST CHRONICLE
OF BARSET
by
ANTHONY TROLLOPE
First published in monthly installments
from December 1, 1866, to July 6, 1867,
and in book form in 1867
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
How Did He Get It?
"I can never bring myself to believe it, John," said Mary
Walker, the pretty daughter of Mr George Walker, attorney of
Silverbridge. Walker and Winthrop was the name of the firm, and
they were respectable people, who did all the solicitors' business
that had to be done in that part of Barsetshire on behalf of the
Crown, were employed on the local business of the Duke of Omnium,
who is great in those parts, and altogether held their heads up
high, as provincial lawyers often do. They—the Walkers—lived in a
great brick house in the middle of the town, gave dinners, to which
the county gentlemen not unfrequently condescended to come, and in
a mild way led the fashion in Silverbridge. "I can never bring
myself to believe it, John," said Miss Walker.
"You'll have to bring yourself to believe it," said John,
without taking his eyes from his book.
"A clergyman,—and such a clergyman too!"
"I don't see that that has anything to do with it." And as he
now spoke, John did take his eyes off his book. "Why should not a
clergyman turn thief as well as anybody else? You girls always seem
to forget that clergymen are only men after all."
"Their conduct is likely to be better than that of other men, I
think."
"I deny it utterly," said John Walker. "I'll undertake to say
that at this moment there are more clergymen in debt in Barsetshire
than there are either lawyers or doctors. This man has always been
in debt. Since he has been in the county I don't think he has ever
been able to show his face in the High Street of Silverbridge."
"John, that is saying more than you have a right to say," said
Mrs Walker.
"Why, mother, this very cheque was given to a butcher who had
threatened a few days before to post bills all about the county,
giving an account of the debt that was due to him, if the money was
not paid at once."
"More shame for Mr Fletcher," said Mary. "He has made a fortune
as butcher in Silverbridge."
"What has that to do with it? Of course a man likes to have his
money. He had written three times to the bishop, and he had sent a
man over to Hogglestock to get his little bill settled six days
running. You see he got it at last. Of course, a tradesman must
look for his money."
"Mamma, do you think that Mr Crawley stole the cheque?" Mary, as
she asked the question, came and stood over her mother, looking at
her with anxious eyes.
"I would rather give no opinion, dear."
"But you must think something when everybody is talking about
it, mamma."
"Of course my mother thinks he did," said John, going back to
his book. "It is impossible that she should think otherwise."
"That is not fair, John," said Mrs Walker; "and I won't have you
fabricate thoughts for me, or put the expression of them into my
mouth. The whole affair is very painful, and as your father is
engaged in the inquiry, I think that the less said about the matter
in this house the better. I am sure that that would be your
father's feeling."
"Of course I should say nothing about it before him," said Mary.
"I know that papa does not wish to have it talked about. But how is
one to help thinking about such a thing? It would be so terrible
for all of us who belong to the Church."
"I do not see that at all," said John. "Mr Crawley is not more
than any other man just because he's a clergyman. I hate all that
kind of clap-trap. There are a lot of people here in Silverbridge
who think the matter shouldn't be followed up, just because the man
is in a position which makes the crime more criminal in him than it
would be in another."
"But I feel sure that Mr Crawley has committed no crime at all,"
said Mary.
"My dear," said Mrs Walker, "I have just said that I would
rather you would not talk about it. Papa will be in directly."
"I won't, mamma;—only—"
"Only! yes; just only!" said John. "She'd go on till dinner if
any one would stay to hear her."
"You've said twice as much as I have, John." But John had left
the room before his sister's words could reach him.
"You know, mamma, it is quite impossible not to help thinking of
it," said Mary.
"I dare say it is, my dear."
"And when one knows the people it does make it so dreadful."
"But do you know them? I never spoke to Mr Crawley in my life,
and I do not think I ever saw her."
"I knew Grace very well,—when she used to come first to Miss
Prettyman's school."
"Poor girl. I pity her."
"Pity her! Pity is no word for it, mamma. My heart bleeds for
them. And yet I do not believe for a moment that he stole the
cheque. How can it be possible? For though he may have been in debt
because they have been so very, very, poor; yet we all know that he
has been an excellent clergyman. When the Robartses were dining
here last, I heard Mrs Robarts say that for piety and devotion to
his duties she had hardly ever seen any one equal to him. And the
Robartses know more of them than anybody."
"They say that the dean is his great friend."
"What a pity it is that the Arabins should be away just now when
he is in such trouble." And in this way the mother and daughter
went on discussing the question of the clergyman's guilt in spite
of Mrs Walker's previously expressed desire that nothing more might
be said about it.
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