But he had sometimes been sorely tried, and he felt when he got her note that he was now about to encounter a very sore trial.  He muttered something which might have been taken for an oath, were it not that the outwards signs of the man gave warranty that no oath could proceed from such a one.  Then he wrote a short note presenting his compliments to Mrs Proudie, and saying that he would call at the palace at eleven o’clock on the following morning.

But, in the meantime, Mrs Proudie, who could not be silent on the subject for a moment, did learn something of the truth from her husband.  The information did not come to her in the way of instruction, but was teased out of the unfortunate man.  ’I know that you can proceed against him in the Court of Arches, under the “Church Discipline Act",’ she said.

‘No, my dear; no,’ said the bishop, shaking his head in his misery.

‘Or in the Consistorial Court.  It’s all the same thing.’

’There must be an inquiry first—­by his brother clergy.  There must indeed.  It’s the only way of proceeding.’

‘But there has been an inquiry, and he has been committed.’

‘That doesn’t signify, my dear.  That’s the Civil Law.’

’And if the Civil Law condemns him, and locks him up in prison—­as it most certainly will do?’

’But it hasn’t done so yet, my dear.  I really think that as it has gone so far, it will be best to leave it as it is till he has taken his trial.’

’What!  Leave him there after what has occurred this morning in this palace?’ The palace with Mrs Proudie was always a palace, and never a house.  ’No; no; ten thousand times no.  Are you not aware that he insulted you, and grossly, most grossly insulted me?  Since I first came to this palace;—­never, never.  And we know the man to be a thief;—­we absolutely know it.  Think, my lord, of the souls of his people!’

‘Oh, dear; oh, dear; oh, dear,’ said the bishop.

‘Why do you fret yourself in that way?’

’Because you will get me into trouble.  I tell you the only thing to be done is to issue a commission with the rural dean at the head of it.’

‘Then issue a commission.’

‘And they will take three months.’

’Why should they take three months?  Why should they take more than three days—­or three hours?  It is all plain sailing.’

‘More shame for them who make it so.’

’But it is so.  If I were to take legal proceedings against him, it would cost—­oh dear—­more than a thousand pounds, I should say.’

‘If it costs two, you must do it,’ Mrs Proudie’s anger was still very hot, or she would not have spoken of an unremunerative outlay of money in such language as that.