The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-10-18
Mr.. D'Oyley looked at his diocesan

~ y
ley! Do you know what you are talk
ing about?'
81 hope do, my lord" returned the
curate with smile. "As it happens,
Lord Cuddesly is the patron; and his
eldest son was at Oxford with me-"
| (The curate said this in quiet but
offhand sort of way, as much as to say
that is the least part of the bust
ness.) ''My real object in coming to
your lordship now is to ascertain
whether should be personally accept
able as sutton for your daughters
hand; and if SO, whether the prefer.
ment of Ditchley would be considered
| by you as sufficient"
The bishop had been looking at the
curate with increased respect all this
time. Being comparatively a stranger
in the diocese he knew very little of
Lord Cuddesly's character or seEti-
ments.
'My dear young friend" he began,
with his most paternal smile, you
| can understand that while the ques-
ton of standing in the diocese and
| that of ways and means are not unim-
| portant, they are, after all, only Sec
| ondary considerations. My dear
daughters happiness is of the first
Importance with me. And if you win
her consent, you shall have mine, so
far as you are personally concerned.
| Then, as to the ways and means, Ditch
| ley is not a very rich living; and !
understand you have no private in.
come. Still, it might be sufficient.
By the way, Lord Cuddesly's solicitor
was speaking to me about Ditchley.
Several names yere mentioned, but
yours was not among them"
81 think Mr.. Debray had not seen
his father on the subject at that time,
said the curate with some modest con-
fusion.
"Probaly not. Well, now you know
my views. But remember, there must
not be a word of this to Ernesta till
the matter is positively settled"
Next day Mr.. D'Oyley betook himself
to Lord Cuddesly's seat, Neddiston
Park. Before going up to the great
mans door, however, he looked in at
the vicarage, hoping to pick up there
some scraps of useful information,
and above all hoping to hear of some
thing that might serve as an excuse for
calling on his lordship.
The vicar turned out to be a good,
easy-going, loquacious sort of man.
He had no very high idea of Lord Cud-
desly, who, he said, seemed to have
but one object in life-the passing of
the deceased wife's sister bill.
Mr.. D'Oyley went up to the great
house, and by the help of liberal
brides succeeded in getting shown into
Lord Cuddesly's presence.
81 believe, my lord" began the
curate, ''that you are patron of the
living of Ditchley.''
"Well, what of that? You haven't
come to ask for it, have you? For, if
you have, you won't get it,
perhaps your lordship would kind
ly hear me for one moment
81 don't know your name even. Who
are you?"
perhaps I had best describe myself
as the son-in-law of the bishop of
Brampton.'
"What! The bishops son-in-law!
ter. Why, how many has he alto.
gether?''
give, my lord; but the marriage has
not taken place yet
.'Oh, [ see! Son-in-law elect; and
the bishop doesn't like to give you
living himself. Is that about it, eh?'
Mr.. D'Oyley smiled respectfully, and
looked down.
"Well, 1 don't know that have any
reason for going out of my way to
oblige the bishop
cit is hardly going out of your way,
my lord,' suggested the curate. 1T
is as easy for your lordship to present
one name to the bishop as another
81 know that well enough. But the
bishop-he has a vote in the house,
hasn't hep
Certainly, my lord; and if I may
say so without offense, l am certain
that mere ordinary feelings of graft
tude for so marked favor bestowed
on one of his family would constrain
Uno DlSuOp uOO " oPPooO yooi hOAo
ship on any public OCCASION
'Hum! That's true. Couldn't ask
for a promise, of course. You're to
marry his daughter. are you?"
81 hope so, my lord. That is, the
particular time of the marriage de-
ponds on whether am presented to
the Ditchley living or not"
"You couldn't marry without liv.
ing, eh?'
Frankly, my lord, we could not"
Lord Cuddesly pondered for mo-
ment or two.
"By the way, Simmons, my lawyer
and man of business, had talk with
your father-in-law in posse about this
very subject, only a day or two ago.
Your name wasn't mentioned at all.''
"Of course not, my lord. The bishop
could hardly put forward claim on
behalf of one of his own family
through an intermediary, too
mo; 1 suppose not. You can tell
your future father-in-law this, how
ever-that when the deceased wife's
sister bill comes on, I'll be glad of his
vote--or if he can't vote for it, he can
1