Her bairn respectit like the lave.
She did not put it precisely in these words, but what she said came to the same thing; and then, having petted and fondled her little man sufficiently, she proceeded to business.
'The poor dean is still alive,' said she.
'So I hear, so I hear,' said the bishop. 'I'll go to the deanery directly after breakfast to-morrow.'
'We are going to this party at Ullathorne to-morrow morning, my dear; we must be there early, you know,—by twelve o'clock I suppose.'
'Oh,—ah!' said the bishop; 'then I'll certainly call the next day.
'Was much said about it at—?' asked Mrs Proudie.
'About what?' said the bishop.
'Filling up the dean's place,' said Mrs Proudie. As she spoke a spark of the wonted fire returned to her eye, and the bishop felt himself to be a little less comfortable than before.
'Filling up the dean's place; that is, if the dean dies?—very little, my dear. It was mentioned, just mentioned.'