The Graftons: A Novel

by Archibald Marshall

"I wonder if the Bishop has said anything to her," said Rhoda, as they went across the hall together. The Bishop of the Diocese was Mrs. Carruthers's uncle.

Mrs. Carruthers was very young and very pretty; too young, the Misses Cooper were accustomed to say, and perhaps too pretty, though there might be two opinions about that, to be mistress of a property like Surley, which had been left to her unconditionally by her husband. The old Rector had been fond of her before the dispute had parted the Park and the Rectory, and even afterwards, for its details had been kept from him, and he had not realised that the break had been so complete as it actually had been.

Nothing was said about the cause of dispute, which had been concerned with the 'goings on' of a dairy-maid at Surley Park. There had been an episode with a young man, and the Misses Cooper, very stern upon keeping the morals of the parish up to concert pitch, had fastened themselves upon it firmly. But it was not the dairy-maid who had been concerned in the episode, and they and Mrs. Carruthers had differed as to the relative importance of their unfortunate mistake and of the fact that there had undoubtedly been something to complain of somewhere.

There were tears in Ella Carruthers's eyes as she came forward to meet the two sisters. "Oh, I am so sorry," she said. "The dear old man! Of course one knew the end must be coming, but it doesn't make it less hard to bear."

Rhoda and Ethel had tears too, to meet this. They had begun almost to enjoy the bustle, but were glad to be able to show that the sadder softer feelings still had sway with them. They were also relieved at the final disappearance of the coolness between themselves and their neighbour. There had been a formal mending of the breach some months before, but they had not been in her house since, nor she in theirs. Soon they were talking to her about their father as if they had always been friends, and she was giving them genuine consolation by the affection she showed herself to have entertained towards him. Their feelings grew warmer, especially when she said, after they had talked about the old Rector for some time: "I do hope Denis will succeed him. I am sure that is what he would most have liked."

This, from the Bishop's niece, might or might not be significant. The Bishop was known to be very fond of her, and had stayed with her once at Surley Park, during the year in which he had occupied his See. It was with a sense of excitement that they set themselves to find out exactly how significant it might be.

"It was the one thing that he really desired," said Rhoda. "I think he had almost made up his mind to speak a word to the Bishop about it, when he came over to see him. But I suppose he felt he couldn't. I know he didn't."

"I fancy," said Ethel, "that he thought he could safely leave it in the Bishop's hands. After all, it would be far the best thing for the parish. That is undoubted."

"And the Bishop might be expected to see that," said Rhoda, backing her up. "He is very wise and far-sighted. And he couldn't help liking and admiring our dear father."