"Mrs. Proudie is so very kind as to say that she will take me in, with my poodle, parrot, and pet old woman."
"I tell Miss Dunstable that we shall have quite room for any of her suite," said Mrs. Proudie, "and that it will give us no trouble."
"'The labor we delight in physics pain,'" said the gallant bishop, bowing low, and putting his hand upon his heart.
In the mean time, Mr. Fothergill had got hold of Mark Robarts. Mr. Fothergill was a gentleman, and a magistrate of the county, but he occupied the position of managing man on the Duke of Omnium's estates. He was not exactly his agent—that is to say, he did not receive his rents; but he "managed" for him, saw people, went about the county, wrote letters, supported the electioneering interest, did popularity when it was too much trouble for the duke to do it himself, and was, in fact, invaluable. People in West Barsetshire would often say that they did not know what on earth the duke would do if it were not for Mr. Fothergill. Indeed, Mr. Fothergill was useful to the duke.
"Mr. Robarts," he said, "I am very happy to have the pleasure of meeting you—very happy indeed. I have often heard of you from our friend Sowerby."
Mark bowed, and said that he was delighted to have the honor of making Mr. Fothergill's acquaintance.
"I am commissioned by the Duke of Omnium," continued Mr. Fothergill, "to say how glad he will be if you will join his grace's party at Gatherum Castle next week. The bishop will be there, and, indeed, nearly the whole set who are here now. The duke would have written when he heard that you were to be at Chaldicotes; but things were hardly quite arranged then, so his grace has left it for me to tell you how happy he will be to make your acquaintance in his own house. I have spoken to Sowerby," continued Mr. Fothergill, "and he very much hopes that you will be able to join us."
Mark felt that his face became red when this proposition was made to him. The party in the county to which he properly belonged—he and his wife, and all that made him happy and respectable—looked upon the Duke of Omnium with horror and amazement; and now he had absolutely received an invitation to the duke's house! A proposition
