BARCHESTER TOWERS
voice a word of consolation to the sorrowing daughter, had looked on the distorted face of his old friend with solemn but yet eager scrutinising eye, as though he said in his heart "and so some day it will probably be with me;" and then having whispered an unmeaning word or two to the doctors, had creaked his way back again into the library.
"He'll never speak again, I fear," said the archdeacon as he noiselessly closed the door, as though the unconscious dying man, from whom all sense had fled, would have heard in his distant chamber the spring of the lock which was now so carefully handled.
"Indeed! indeed! is he so bad?" said the meagre little prebendary, turning over in his own mind all the probable candidates for the deanery, and wondering whether the archdeacon would think it worth his while to accept it. "The fit must have been very violent."
"When a man over seventy has a stroke of apoplexy, it seldom comes very lightly," said the burly chancellor.
"He was an excellent, sweet-tempered man," said one of the vicars choral. "Heaven knows how we shall repair his loss."
"He was indeed," said a minor canon; "and a great blessing to all those privileged to take a share of the services of our cathedral. I suppose the government will appoint, Mr. Archdeacon. I trust we may have no stranger."
"We will not talk about his successor," said the archdeacon, "while there is yet hope."
"Oh, no, of course not," said the minor canon. "It would be exceedingly indecorous! but"
"I know of no man," said the meagre little prebendary, "who has better interest with the present government than Mr. Slope."
"Mr. Slope!" said two or three at once almost sotto voce. "Mr. Slope dean of Barchester!"
"Pooh!" exclaimed the burly chancellor.
"The bishop would do anything for him," said the little prebendary.
"And so would Mrs. Proudie," said the vicar choral.
"Pooh!" said the chancellor.
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