‘The horse won’t mind it a bit,’ said Mr Robarts.  ’A parson’s horse is like a butcher’s, and knows he mustn’t be particular about waiting in the cold.’

‘I never have had one myself,’ said Mr Crawley.  Now Mr Robarts had had more horses than one before now, and had been thought by some to have incurred greater expense than was befitting in his stable comforts.  The subject, therefore, was a sore one, and he was worried a little.  ’I just wanted to say a few words to you, Crawley,’ he said, ’and if I am not occupying too much of your time—­’

‘My time is altogether at your disposal.  Will you be seated?’

Then Mr Robarts sat down, and, swinging his hat between his legs, bethought himself how he should begin his work.  ’We had the archdeacon over at Framley the other day,’ he said.  ’Of course you know the archdeacon?’

’I never had the advantage of any acquaintance with Dr Grantly.  Of course I know him well by name, and also personally—­that is, by sight.’

‘And by character?’

’Nay; I can hardly so much as that.  But I am aware that his name stands high with many of his order.’

’Exactly; that is what I mean.  You know that his judgment is thought more of in clerical matters than that of any other clergyman in the county.’

‘By a certain party, Mr Robarts.’

’Well, yes.  They don’t think much of him, I suppose, in the palace.  But that won’t lower him in your estimation.’

’I by no means derogate from Dr Grantly’s high position in his own archdeaconry—­to which, as you are aware, I am not attached—­nor to criticise his conduct in any respect.  It would therefore be unbecoming in me to do so.  But I cannot accept it as a point in a clergyman’s favour, that he should be opposed to his bishop.’

Now this was too much for Mr Robarts.  After all that he had heard of the visit paid by Mr Crawley to the palace—­of the venom displayed by Mrs Proudie on that occasion, and of the absolute want of subordination to episcopal authority which Mr Crawley himself was supposed to have shown—­Mr Robarts did feel it hard that his friend the archdeacon should be snubbed in this way because he was deficient in reverence for his bishop!  ‘I thought, Crawley,’ he said, ’that you yourself were inclined to dispute orders coming to you from the palace.  That world at least says as much concerning you.’

’What the world says of me I have learned to disregard very much, Mr Robarts.  But I hope that I shall never disobey the authority of the Church when properly and legally exercised.’

’I hope with all my heart you never will; not I either.  And the archdeacon, who knows, to the breadth of a hair, what a bishop ought to do and what he ought not, and what he may do and what he may not, will, I should say, be the last man in England to sin in that way.’

’Very probably.  I am far from contradicting you there.  Pray understand, Mr Robarts, that I bring no accusation against the archdeacon.  Why should I?’