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Updated: June 2, 2025
All this had been true, and it had been true also, though of this Mrs. Stantiloup had not heard the particulars, that Mrs. Peacocke had explained to her neighbour that she did not intend to put herself on a visiting footing with any one. "But why not, my dear?" Mrs. Wortle had said, urged to the argument by precepts from her husband.
Why should you expect him to sympathise with your wrong-doing?" "What have I done wrong?" "You have countenanced immorality and deceit in a brother clergyman." "I deny it," said the Doctor, rising up impetuously from his chair. "Then I do not understand the position, Dr. Wortle. That is all I can say." "To my thinking, Mr. Puddicombe, I never came across a better man than Mr. Peacocke in my life."
Peacocke would bring Jack home for the holidays to De Lawle Park. Of course she carried her blessings up into Mrs. Peacocke's little drawing-room, and became quite convinced, as was Mrs. Wortle, that Mrs. Peacocke was in all respects a lady. She heard of Mr. Peacocke's antecedents at Oxford, and expressed her opinion that they were charming people.
Wortle knew his man, and was willing enough to be on good terms with his bishop so long as he was allowed to be in all things his own master. There had, too, been some fighting between Dr. Wortle and the world about his school. He was, as I have said, a thoroughly generous man, but he required, himself, to be treated with generosity.
Such was the Doctor. Mrs. Wortle was a pretty little woman, now over forty years of age, of whom it was said that in her day she had been the beauty of Windsor and those parts. Mary Wortle took mostly after her father, being tall and comely, having especially her father's eyes; but still they who had known Mrs.
Wortle replied that such suspicions were monstrous, unreasonable, and uncharitable. He declared that they originated with that abominable virago, Mrs. Stantiloup. "Look round the diocese," said the Bishop in reply to this, "and see if you can find a single clergyman acting in it, of the details of whose life for the last five years you know absolutely nothing."
But she did endeavour to describe the effect upon herself of the description the woman had given her of her own conduct. "I don't quite know how she could have done otherwise," said Mrs. Wortle. "Nor I either; I have always said so." "It would have been so very hard to go away, when he told her not." "It would have been very hard to go away," said the Doctor, "if he had told her to do so.
Wortle had taken young De Lawle and another little boy with her over the foot-bridge which passed from the bottom of the parsonage garden to the glebe-meadow which ran on the other side of a little river, and with them had gone a great Newfoundland dog, who was on terms equally friendly with the inmates of the Rectory and the school.
He had declared at first that they should be married at his own parish church; but he felt that there would be difficulties in this. "She must go up to London and meet him there," he said to Mrs. Wortle. "And he must not show himself here till he brings her down as his actual wife." Then there was very much to be done in arranging all this.
From that moment I have thought of him day and night. When I gave him my hand then as he parted from me, I gave it him as his own. It has been his to do what he liked with it ever since, let who might live or who might die. Ought I not to rejoice that he is dead?" Mrs. Wortle could not answer the question. She could only shudder.
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