Mr.Crawley smiled, but stood his ground.

Then the bishop returned to his arm-chair, and Mr.Crawley also sat down again.

"Mr.Crawley," began the bishop, "this matter which came the other day before the magistrates at Silverbridge has been a most unfortunate affair.

It has given me, I can assure you, the most sincere pain." Mr.Crawley had made up his mind how far the bishop should be allowed to go without a rebuke.

He had told himself that it would only be natural, and would not be unbecoming, that the bishop should allude to the meeting of the magistrates and to the alleged theft, and that therefore such allusion should be endured with patient humility.
And, moreover, the more rope he gave the bishop, the more likely the bishop would be to entangle himself.