‘That is true,’ said Mr Thumble.  ’He altogether disregarded the bishop.’

‘I think he was quite right,’ said Mr Robarts.

’A bishop in almost all cases is entitled to the obedience of his clergy,’ said Mr Oriel.

‘I must say I agree with you, sir,’ said Mr Thumble.

‘Be that as it may,’ continued the doctor, ’the bishop feels that it may be his duty to oppose the return of Mr Crawley to his pulpit, and that he can oppose it in no other way than by proceeding against Mr Crawley under the Clerical Offences Act.  I propose, therefore, that we should invite Mr Crawley to attend here—­’

‘Mr Crawley is not coming here today, then?’ said Mr Robarts.

’I thought it useless to ask for his attendance until we had settled on our own course of action,’ said Dr Tempest.  ’If we are all agreed, I will beg him to come here on this day week, when we will meet again.  And we will then ask him whether he will submit himself to the bishop’s decision, in the event of the jury finding him guilty.  If he should decline to do so, we can only then form our opinion as to what will be the bishop’s duty by reference to the facts as they are elicited at the trial.  If Mr Crawley should choose to make to us any statement as to his own case, of course we shall be willing to receive it.  That is my idea of what had better be done; and now, if any gentleman has any other proposition to make, of course we shall be pleased to hear him.’  Dr Tempest, as he said this, looked round upon his companions, as though his pleasure, under the circumstances suggested by himself, would be very doubtful.

‘I don’t suppose we can do anything better,’ said Mr Robarts.  ’I think it a pity, however, that any steps should have been taken by the bishop before the trial.’

‘The bishop has been placed in a very delicate position,’ said Mr Thumble, pleading for his patron.

‘I don’t know the meaning of the word “delicate",’ said Robarts.  ’I think his duty was very clear, to avoid interference whilst the matter is, so to say, before the judge.’

‘Nobody has anything else to propose?’ said Dr Tempest.  ’Then I will write to Mr Crawley and you, gentlemen, will perhaps do me the honour of meeting me here at one o’clock this day week.’  Then the meeting was over, and the four clergymen having shaken hands with Dr Tempest in the hall, all promised that they would return on that day week.  So far, Dr Tempest had carried his point exactly as he might have done had the four gentlemen been represented by the chairs on which they sat.

’I shan’t come again all the same, unless I know where I’m to get my expenses,’ said Mr Quiverful, as he got into the gig.

‘I shall come,’ said Mr Thumble, ’because I think it a duty.  Of course it is a hardship.’  Mr Thumble liked the idea of being joined with such men as Dr Tempest, and Mr Oriel, and Mr Robarts, and would any day have paid the expense of a gig from Barchester to Silverbridge out of his own pocket, for the sake of sitting with such benchfellows on any clerical inquiry.