CHAPTERLV
FRAMLEYPARSONAGE
AtthistimeGraceCrawleywasatFramleyParsonage。OldLadyLufton’sstrategyhadbeenquiteintelligible，butsomepeoplesaidthatinpointofetiquetteandjudgmentandmoralconduct，itwasindefensible。Hervicar，MrRobarts，hadbeenselectedtobeoneoftheclergymenwhowastositinecclesiasticaljudgmentuponMrCrawley，andwhilehewassosittingMrCrawley’sdaughterwasstayinginMrRobarts’shouseasvisitorwithhiswife。Itmightbethattherewasnoharminthis。LadyLufton，whentheapparentimproprietywaspointedouttoherbynolessapersonthanArchdeaconGrantly，ridiculedtheidea。’Mydeararchdeacon，’LadyLuftonhadsaid，’weallknowthebishoptobesuchafoolandthebishop’swifetobesuchaknave，thatwecannotallowourselvestobegovernedinthismatterbyordinaryrules。Doyounotthinkthatitisexpedienttoshowhowutterlywedisregardhisjudgmentandhermalice？’ThearchdeaconhadhesitatedmuchbeforehespoketoLadyLufton，whetherheshouldaddresshimselftoherortoMrRobarts——orindeedtoMrsRobarts。ButhehadbecomeawarethatthepropositionastothevisithadoriginatedwithLadyLufton，andhehadthereforedecidedonspeakingtoher。Hehadnotcondescendedtosayawordastohisson，norwouldhesocondescend。NorcouldhegofromLadyLuftontoMrRobarts，havingoncefailedwithherladyship。Indeed，ingivinghimhisdue，wemustacknowledgethathisdisapprobationofLadyLufton’sstrategyaroseratherfromhistrueconvictionastoitsimpropriety，thanfromanyfearlestthisattentionpaidtoMissCrawleyshouldtendtobringabouthermarriagewithhisson。BythistimehehatedtheverynameofCrawley。HehateditthemorebecauseinhatingithehadtoputhimselfforthetimeonthesamesidewithMrsProudie。
Butforallthathewouldnotcondescendtoanyunworthymodeoffighting。HethoughtitwrongthattheyoungladyshouldbeinvitedtoFramleyParsonageatthismoment，andhesaidsotothepersonwhohad，ashethought，intruth，giventheinvitation；buthewouldnotallowhisownpersonalmotivestoinducehimtocarryontheargumentwithLadyLufton。’Thebishopisafool，’hesaid，’andthebishop’swifeisaknave。NeverthelessIwouldnothavehadtheyoungladyovertoFramleyatthismoment。If，however，youthinkitrightandRobartsthinksitright，thereisanendofit。’
’Uponmywordwedo，’saidLadyLufton。