"I think it would be as well for gentlemen not to give their remarks a

personal bearing," said Mr. Plymdale. "I shall vote for the

appointment of Mr. Tyke, but I should not have known, if Mr. Hackbutt

hadn't hinted it, that I was a Servile Crawler."

"I disclaim any personalities. I expressly said, if I may be allowed

to repeat, or even to conclude what I was about to say--"

"Ah, here's Minchin!" said Mr. Frank Hawley; at which everybody turned

away from Mr. Hackbutt, leaving him to feel the uselessness of superior

gifts in Middlemarch. "Come, Doctor, I must have you on the right

side, eh?"

"I hope so," said Dr. Minchin, nodding and shaking hands here and

there; "at whatever cost to my feelings."

"If there's any feeling here, it should be feeling for the man who is

turned out, I think," said Mr. Frank Hawley.

"I confess I have feelings on the other side also. I have a divided

esteem," said Dr. Minchin, rubbing his hands. "I consider Mr. Tyke an

exemplary man--none more so--and I believe him to be proposed from

unimpeachable motives. I, for my part, wish that I could give him my

vote. But I am constrained to take a view of the case which gives the

preponderance to Mr. Farebrother's claims. He is an amiable man, an

able preacher, and has been longer among us."

Old Mr. Powderell looked on, sad and silent. Mr. Plymdale settled his

cravat, uneasily.

"You don't set up Farebrother as a pattern of what a clergyman ought to

be, I hope," said Mr. Larcher, the eminent carrier, who had just come

in. "I have no ill-will towards him, but I think we owe something to

the public, not to speak of anything higher, in these appointments. In

my opinion Farebrother is too lax for a clergyman. I don't wish to

bring up particulars against him; but he will make a little attendance

here go as far as he can."

"And a devilish deal better than too much," said Mr. Hawley, whose bad

language was notorious in that part of the county. "Sick people can't

bear so much praying and preaching. And that methodistical sort of

religion is bad for the spirits--bad for the inside, eh?" he added,

turning quickly round to the four medical men who were assembled.

But any answer was dispensed with by the entrance of three gentlemen,

with whom there were greetings more or less cordial. These were the

Reverend Edward Thesiger, Rector of St. Peter's, Mr. Bulstrode, and our

friend Mr. Brooke of Tipton, who had lately allowed himself to be put

on the board of directors in his turn, but had never before attended,

his attendance now being due to Mr. Bulstrode's exertions. Lydgate was

the only person still expected.




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