’His lordship will not write.  His lordship will do nothing of the kind,’ said Mrs Proudie.

‘My dear!’ said the bishop, driven in his perplexity beyond all carefulness of reticence.  ’My dear, I do wish you wouldn’t—­I do indeed.  If you would only go away!’

‘I will not go away, my lord,’ said Mrs Proudie.

‘But I will,’ said Dr Tempest, feeling true compassion for the unfortunate man whom he saw writhing in agony before him.  ’It will manifestly be for the best that I should retire.  My lord, I wish you good morning.  Mrs Proudie, good morning.’  And so he left the room.

‘A most stubborn and a most ungentlemanlike man,’ said Mrs Proudie, as soon as the door was closed behind the retreating rural dean.  ’I do not think that in the whole course of my life I ever met with anyone so insubordinate and so ill-mannered.  He is worse than the archdeacon.’  As she uttered these words she paced about the room.  The bishop said nothing; and when she herself had been silent for a few minutes she turned upon him.  ‘Bishop,’ she said, ’I hope that you agree with me.  I expect that will agree with me in a matter that is so of much moment to my comfort, and I may say to my position generally in the diocese.  Bishop, why do you not speak?’

’You have behaved in such a way that I do not know that I shall ever speak again,’ said the bishop.

‘What is that you say?’

’I say that I do not know how I shall ever speak again.  You have disgraced me.’

’Disgraced you!  I disgrace you!  It is you that disgrace yourself by saying such words.’

’Very well.  Let it be so.  Perhaps you will go away now and leave me to myself.  I have got a bad headache, and I can’t talk any more.  Oh dear, oh dear, what will he think of it?’

‘And you mean to tell me that I have been wrong?’

’Yes, you have been wrong—­very wrong.  Why didn’t you go away when I asked you?  You are always being wrong.  I wish I had never come to Barchester.  In any other position I should not have felt it so much.  As it is I do not know how I can ever show my face again.’

‘Not have felt what so much, Mr Proudie?’ said the wife, going back in the excitement of her anger to the nomenclature of old days.  ’And this is to be my return for all my care in your behalf!  Allow me to tell you, sir, that in any position in which you may be placed I know what is due to you, and that your dignity will never lose anything in my hands.  I wish that you were as well able to take care of it yourself.’  Then she stalked out of the room, and left the poor man alone.