Barchester Towers - Anthony Trollope (ebook reader below 3000 .txt) 📗

Barchester Towers

By Anthony Trollope.

Table of Contents Titlepage Imprint I: Who Will Be the New Bishop? II: Hiram’s Hospital According to Act of Parliament III: Dr. and Mrs. Proudie IV: The Bishop’s Chaplain V: A Morning Visit VI: War VII: The Dean and Chapter Take Counsel VIII: The Ex-Warden Rejoices in His Probable Return to the Hospital IX: The Stanhope Family X: Mrs. Proudie’s Reception—Commenced XI: Mrs. Proudie’s Reception—Concluded XII: Slope Versus Harding XIII: The Rubbish Cart XIV: The New Champion XV: The Widow’s Suitors XVI: Baby Worship XVII: Who Shall Be Cock of the Walk? XVIII: The Widow’s Persecution XIX: Barchester by Moonlight XX: Mr. Arabin XXI: St. Ewold’s Parsonage XXII: The Thornes of Ullathorne XXIII: Mr. Arabin Reads Himself in at St. Ewold’s XXIV: Mr. Slope Manages Matters Very Cleverly at Puddingdale XXV: Fourteen Arguments in Favour of Mr. Quiverful’s Claims XXVI: Mrs. Proudie Wrestles and Gets a Fall XXVII: A Love Scene XXVIII: Mrs. Bold Is Entertained by Dr. and Mrs. Grantly at Plumstead XXIX: A Serious Interview XXX: Another Love Scene XXXI: The Bishop’s Library XXXII: A New Candidate for Ecclesiastical Honours XXXIII: Mrs. Proudie Victrix XXXIV: Oxford—The Master and Tutor of Lazarus XXXV: Miss Thorne’s Fête Champêtre XXXVI: Ullathorne Sports—Act I XXXVII: The Signora Neroni, the Countess de Courcy, and Mrs. Proudie Meet Each Other at Ullathorne XXXVIII: The Bishop Sits Down to Breakfast, and the Dean Dies XXXIX: The Lookalofts and the Greenacres XL: Ullathorne Sports—Act II XLI: Mrs. Bold Confides Her Sorrow to Her Friend Miss Stanhope XLII: Ullathorne Sports—Act III XLIII: Mr. and Mrs. Quiverful Are Made Happy. Mr. Slope Is Encouraged by the Press XLIV: Mrs. Bold at Home XLV: The Stanhopes at Home XLVI: Mr. Slope’s Parting Interview with the Signora XLVII: The Dean Elect XLVIII: Miss Thorne Shows Her Talent at Matchmaking XLIX: The Beelzebub Colt L: The Archdeacon Is Satisfied with the State of Affairs LI: Mr. Slope Bids Farewell to the Palace and Its Inhabitants LII: The New Dean Takes Possession of the Deanery, and the New Warden of the Hospital LIII: Conclusion Colophon Uncopyright Imprint

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I Who Will Be the New Bishop?

In the latter days of July in the year 185-, a most important question was for ten days hourly asked in the cathedral city of Barchester, and answered every hour in various ways⁠—Who was to be the new bishop?

The death of old Dr. Grantly, who had for many years filled that chair with meek authority, took place exactly as the ministry of Lord ⸻ was going to give place to that of Lord ⸻. The illness of the good old man was long and lingering, and it became at last a matter of intense interest to those concerned whether the new appointment should be made by a conservative or liberal government.

It was pretty well understood that the outgoing premier had made his selection and that if the question rested with him, the mitre would descend on the head of Archdeacon Grantly, the old bishop’s son. The archdeacon had long managed the affairs of the diocese, and for some months previous to the demise of his father rumour had confidently assigned to him the reversion of his father’s honours.

Bishop Grantly died as he had lived, peaceably, slowly, without pain and without excitement. The breath ebbed from him almost imperceptibly, and for a month before his death it was a question whether he were alive or dead.

A trying time was this for the archdeacon, for whom was designed the reversion of his father’s see by those who then had the giving away of episcopal thrones. I would not be understood to say that the prime minister had in so many words promised the bishopric to Dr. Grantly. He was too discreet a man for that. There is a proverb with reference to the killing of cats, and those who know anything either of high or low government places will be well aware that a promise may be made without positive words and that an expectant may be put into the highest state of encouragement, though the great man on whose breath he hangs may have done no more than whisper that “Mr. So-and-So is certainly a rising man.”

Such a whisper had been made, and was known by those who heard it to signify that the cures of the diocese of Barchester should not be taken out of the hands of the archdeacon. The then prime minister was all in all at Oxford, and had lately passed a night at the house of the Master of Lazarus. Now the Master of Lazarus⁠—which is, by the by, in many respects the most comfortable as well as the