"
This she said to the wife of the present warden of Hiram's Hospital,
a lady who had received favours from her, and was therefore bound to
listen attentively to her voice.
"But I hope it may not be true," said Mrs. Quiverful, who, in spite
of the allegiance due by her to Mrs. Proudie, had reasons of her own
for wishing well to the Grantly family.
"I hope so, indeed," said Mrs. Proudie, with a slight tinge of anger
in her voice; "but I fear that there is no doubt. And I must confess
that it is no more than we had a right to expect. I hope that it may
be taken by all of us as a lesson, and an example, and a teaching of
the Lord's mercy. And I wish you would request your husband--from
me, Mrs. Quiverful--to dwell on this subject in morning and evening
lecture at the hospital on Sabbath next, showing how false is the
trust which we put in the good things of this world;" which behest,
to a certain extent, Mr. Quiverful did obey, feeling that a quiet
life in Barchester was of great value to him; but he did not go so
far as to caution his hearers, who consisted of the aged bedesmen of
the hospital, against matrimonial projects of an ambitious nature.
In this case, as in all others of the kind, the report was known to
all the chapter before it had been heard by the archdeacon or his
wife.
Pages:
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802