'Then why have you endeavoured to assist him?'
'Why,—my dear, I haven't assisted him—much.'
'But why have you done it at all? Why have you mixed your name up in any thing so ridiculous? What was it you did say to the archbishop?'
'Why, I did just mention it; I just did say that—that in the event of the poor dean's death, Mr Slope would—would—'
'Would what?'
'I forget how I put it,—would take it if he could get it; something of that sort. I didn't say much more than that.'
'You shouldn't have said anything at all. And what did the archbishop say?'
'He didn't say anything; he just bowed and rubbed his hands. Somebody else came up at the moment, and as we were discussing the new parochial universal school committee, the matter of the new dean dropped; after that I didn't think it was wise to renew it.'
'Renew it! I am very sorry you ever mentioned it. What will the archbishop think of that?'
'You may be sure, my dear, that the archbishop thought very little about it.'