But Mr Walker—­the great Walker—­had more to do that night before his son came home from the club.  He and Mr Toogood agreed that it would be right that they should see Dr Tempest at once, and they went over together to the rectory.  It was past ten at this time, and they found the doctor almost in the act of putting out the candles for the night.  ‘I could not but come to you, doctor,’ said Mr Walker, ’with the news that my friend has brought.  Mrs Arabin gave the cheque to Crawley.  Here is a telegram from her saying so.’  And the telegram was handed to the doctor.

He stood perfectly silent for a few minutes, reading it over and over again.  ‘I see it all,’ he said, when he spoke at last.  ’I see it all now; and I must own I was never before so much puzzled in my life.’

‘I own I can’t see why she should have given him Mr Soames’s cheque,’ said Mr Walker.

‘I can’t say where she got it, and I own I don’t much care,’ said Dr Tempest.  ’But I don’t doubt but what she gave him without telling the dean, and that Crawley thought it came from the dean.  I’m very glad.  I am, indeed, very glad.  I do not know that I ever pitied a man so much in my life as I have pitied Mr Crawley.’

‘It must have been a hard case when it has moved him,’ said Mr Walker to Toogood as they left the clergyman’s house; and then the Silverbridge attorney saw the attorney from London home to the inn.

It was the general opinion at Silverbridge that the news from Venice ought to be communicated to the Crawleys by Major Grantly.  Mary Walker had expressed this opinion very strongly, and her mother had agreed with her.  Miss Prettyman also felt that poetical justice, or, at least, the romance of justice, demanded this; and, as she told her sister Anne after Mary Walker left her, she was of the opinion that such an arrangement might tend to make things safe.  ’I do think he is an honest man and a fine fellow,’ said Miss Prettyman; ’but, my dear, you know what the proverb says, “There’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip".’  Miss Prettyman thought than anything which might be done to prevent a slip ought to be done.  The idea that the pleasant task of taking the news out to Hogglestock ought to be confided to Major Grantly was very general; but then Mr Walker was of the opinion that the news ought not to be taken to Hogglestock at all till something more certain than the telegram had reached them.  Early on the following morning the two lawyers should go over at once to Barchester, and that the Silverbridge lawyer should see Major Grantly.  Mr Toogood was still of the opinion that with due diligence something might yet be learned as to the cheque by inquiry among the denizens of ‘The Dragon of Wantly’; and his opinion to this effect was stronger than ever when he learned from Mr Walker that the ‘Dragon of Wantly’ belonged to Mrs Arabin.