‘Oh, don’t mention it,’ said Mr Thumble.

‘If you will allow me, sir, I would prefer that it should be mentioned.’  Then he seated himself, and commenced his letter.

Mr Thumble felt himself to be awkwardly placed.  Had there been no third person in the room he could have sat down in Mr Crawley’s arm-chair, and waited patiently till the letter should be finished.  But Mrs Crawley was there, and of course he was bound to speak to her.  In what strain should he do so?  Even he, as little as he was given to indulge in sentiment, had been touched by the man’s appeal to his own poverty, and he felt, moreover, that Mrs Crawley must have been deeply moved by her husband’s position with reference to the bishop’s order.  It was quite out of the question that he should speak of that, as Mr Crawley would, he was well aware, would immediately turn upon him.  At last he thought of a subject, and spoke with a voice intended to be pleasant.  ’That was the school-house I passed, probably, as I came here?’ Mrs Crawley told him that it was the school-house.  ’Ah, yes, I thought so.  Have you a certified teacher there?’ Mrs Crawley explained that no Government aid had ever reached Hogglestock.  Besides themselves, they had only a young woman whom they themselves had instructed.

‘Ah, that is a pity,’ said Mr Thumble.

‘I—­I am the certified teacher,’ said Mr Crawley, turning round upon him from his chair.

‘Oh, ah, yes,’ said Mr Thumble; and after that Mr Thumble asked no more questions about the Hogglestock school.  Soon afterwards Mrs Crawley left the room, seeing the difficulty under which Mr Thumble was labouring, and feeling sure that her presence would not now be necessary.  Mr Crawley’s letter was written quickly, though every now and then he would sit for a moment with his pen poised in the air, searching his memory for a word.  But the words came to him easily, and before an hour was over he had handed his letter to Mr Thumble.  The letter was as follows:—­

’The parsonage, Hogglestock, December, 186-

’Right reverend lord,

’I have received the letter of yesterday’s date which your lordship has done me the honour of sending by the hands of the Reverend Mr Thumble, and I avail myself of that gentleman’s kindness to return to you an answer by the same means, moved this to use his patience chiefly by the consideration that in this way my reply to your lordship’s injunctions may be in your hands with less delay than would attend the course of the mail-post.

’It is with deep regret that I feel myself constrained to inform your lordship that I cannot obey the command which you have laid upon me with reference to the services of my church in this parish.  I cannot permit Mr Thumble, or any other delegate from your lordship, to usurp my place in the pulpit.  I would not have you think, if I can possibly dispel such thoughts from your mind, that I disregard your