The newspaper rustled in the curate’s grasp, and for a moment he did not answer. Then he said huskily, “To me?”
“Yes,” the archdeacon answered expansively—it was certainly a pleasant task he had in hand, and he could not help beaming over it. “To you, Mr. Clode. On one condition only,” he continued, “which is usual enough in all such cases, and I venture to think is particularly natural in this case. I mean that you have your late rector’s good word.”
“Mr. Lindo’s good word?” the curate stammered.
“Of course,” the unconscious archdeacon answered.
The curate’s jaw dropped; but by an effort he forced a ghastly smile. “To be sure,” he said. “There will be no difficulty about that, I think.”
“No,” replied the other, “for I have just seen him, and can say at once that he is prepared to give it you. He has behaved throughout in a most generous manner, and the consequence is that I have nothing more to do except to offer you my congratulations on your preferment.”
For a moment Clode could scarcely believe in his happiness. In the short space of two minutes he had tasted to the full both the pleasure of hope and the pang of despair. Could it be that all that was over already? That the period of waiting and uncertainty was past and gone? That the prize to which he had looked so long—and with the prize the woman he loved—was his at last?—was actually in his grasp?
His head reeled, great as was his self-control, and a haze rose before his eyes. As this passed away he became conscious that the archdeacon was shaking his hand with great heartiness, and that the thing was real! He was rector, or as good as rector, of Claversham. The object of his ambition was his! He was happy: perhaps it was the happiest moment of his life. He had even time to wonder whether he could not do Lindo a good turn—whether he could not somehow make it up to him.
“You are very good,” he muttered, gratefully pressing the archdeacon’s hand.
“I am glad it is not a stranger,” that gentleman replied heartily. “Oh,” he continued, turning and speaking in a different tone, “is that you, Mr. Bonamy? Well, there can be no harm in your hearing the news also. You are people’s warden, of course, and have a kind of claim to hear it early. To be sure you have.”