UptothecomingofMrThumblehewoulddoeverythingintheparishthatcouldbedonebyaclergymanwithaclearspiritandafreeheart。MrThumbleshouldnotfindthatspiritualweedshadgrownrankintheparishbecauseofhismisfortunes。
MrsProudiehaddiedontheTuesday——thathavingbeenthedayofMrThumble’svisittoHogglestock——andMrRobartshadgoneovertoSilverbridge，inanswertoDrTempest’sinvitation，ontheThursday。Hehadnot，therefore，thecommandofmuchtime，itbeingtheexpressobjecttopreventtheappearanceofMrThumbleatHogglestockonthenextSunday。HehadgonetoSilverbridgebyrailway，andhad，therefore，beenobligedtopostponehisvisittoMrCrawleytillthenextday；butearlyontheFridaymorningherodeovertoHogglestock。Thathedidnotarrivetherewithabroken—kneedhorse，thereadermaybequitesure。Inallmattersofthatsort，MrRobartswaseverabovereproach。Herodeagoodhorse，anddroveaneatgig，andwasalwayswell—dressed。OnthisaccountMrCrawley，thoughhereallylikedMrRobarts，andwasthankfultohimformanykindnesses，couldneverbearhispresencewithperfectequanimity。Robartswasnoscholar，wasnotagreatpreacher，hadobtainednocelebrityasachurchman——had，infact，donenothingtomeritgreatreward；andyeteverythinghadbeengiventohimwithanabundanthand。WithinthelasttwelvemonthhiswifehadinheritedMrCrawleydidnotcaretoknowhowmanythousandpounds。AndyetMrRobartshadwonallthathepossessedbybeingaclergyman。WasitpossiblethatMrCrawleyshouldregardsuchamanwithequanimity？
Robartsrodeoverwithagroombehindhim——reallytakingthegroombecauseheknewthatMrCrawleywouldhavenoonetoholdhishorseforhim——andthegroomwasthesourceofgreatoffence。HecomeuponMrCrawleystandingattheschooldoor，andstoppingatonce，jumpedoffhisnag。Therewassomethinginthewayinwhichhesprangoutofthesaddleandthrewthereinstotheman，whichwasnotclericaltoMrCrawley’seyes。Nomancouldbesoquickinthematterofahorsewhospentasmanyhourswiththepoorandwiththechildrenasshouldbespentbyaparishclergyman。ItmightbeprobablethatMrRobartshadneverstolentwentypounds——mightneverbeaccusedofsodisgracefulacrime——but，nevertheless，MrCrawleyhadhisownideas，andmadehisowncomparisons。
’Crawley’saidRobarts，’Iamsogladtofindyouathome。’
’Iamgenerallytobefoundintheparish，’saidtheperpetualcurateofHogglestock。