"It is not within a woman's province to give counsel to a clergyman on such a subject, unless she be very near and very dear to him--his wife, or mother, or sister." "As living in the same parish, you know, and being, perhaps--" the leading person in it, and the one who naturally rules the others.
Those would have been the fitting words for the expression of her ladyship's ideas; but she remembered herself, and did not use them.
She had made up her mind that, great as her influence ought to be, she was not the proper person to speak to Mr.Robarts as to his pernicious, unclerical habits, and she would not now depart from her resolve by attempting to prove that she was the proper person.
"Yes," said Mr.Crawley, "just so.

All that would entitle him to offer you his counsel if he thought that your mode of life was such as to require it, but could by no means justify you in addressing yourself to him." This was very hard upon Lady Lufton.

She was endeavouring with all her woman's strength to do her best, and endeavouring so to do it that the feelings of the sinner might be spared; and yet the ghostly comforter whom she had evoked to her aid, treated her as though she were arrogant and overbearing.

She acknowledged the weakness of her own position with reference to her parish clergyman by calling in the aid of Mr.Crawley; and, under such circumstances, he might, at any rate, have abstained from throwing that weakness in her teeth.
"Well, sir; I hope my mode of life may not require it; but that is not exactly to the point: what I wish to know is, whether you will speak to Mr.Robarts ?" "Certainly I will," said he.
"Then I shall be much obliged to you.

But, Mr.Crawley, pray--pray, remember this: I would not on any account wish that you should be harsh with him.