Barchester Towers. Anthony Trollope

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      Trollope Anthony

      Barchester Towers

      BARCHESTER TOWERS

      In the great cathedral cities of England, the church and politics go hand in hand. The government appoints the bishop, who is the head of the church in that city, and below him come archdeacons, deans, vicars, parsons, chaplains – all kinds of clergymen, of differing degrees of rank, importance, influence, and income.

      All this is complicated enough, but the appointment of Dr Proudie as the new Bishop of Barchester overturns the old established order in that peaceful city, and a struggle for power begins against the new bishop’s wife, the fearsome Mrs Proudie. And when you also add to the mixture the new bishop’s chaplain, the oily and ambitious Obadiah Slope, you have a recipe for war.

      And as well as the struggle for power in the church, there is also the game of love, which is played by very different rules, according to the player. Mrs Eleanor Bold, a pretty young widow, believes in honest and truthful ways of dealing with people, but she does not always understand the deceitful ways of men. The Signora Madeline Neroni, on the other hand, understands men only too well, and her beauty and her wit and her charm draw men to her, like flies into a spider’s web …

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ISBN: 978 0 19 479254 7

Printed in Hong Kong

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Photographs are from the BBC TV production The Barchester Chronicles and are reproduced by courtesy of BBC. They feature Alan Rickman, Geraldine McEwan, Clive Swift, Janet Maw, Susan Hampshire, and Peter Blythe

Word count (main text): 29,520 words

For more information on the Oxford Bookworms Library, visit www.oup.com/elt/bookworms

e-Book ISBN 978 0 19 463033 7

e-Book first published 2015

      PEOPLE IN THIS STORY

      IN BARCHESTER

      Dr Proudie, Bishop of Barchester

      Mrs Proudie, the bishop’s wife

      Olivia Proudie, the bishop’s eldest daughter

      Mr Obadiah Slope, the bishop’s chaplain

      Dr Trefoil, Dean of Barchester

      Mr Septimus Harding, once warden of Hiram’s Hospital

      Eleanor Bold, Mr Harding’s younger daughter and a widow

      Johnny Bold, Eleanor’s baby son

      Mary Bold, Eleanor’s sister-in-law

      Dr Vesey Stanhope, a clergyman

      Bertie Stanhope, Dr Stanhope’s son

      Charlotte Stanhope, Dr Stanhope’s elder daughter

      Madeline Stanhope, also called Signora Neroni, Dr Stanhope’s younger daughter

      AT PLUMSTEAD

      Dr Grantly, the archdeacon

      Susan Grantly, Mr Harding’s elder daughter and the archdeacon’s wife

      Mr Francis Arabin, an Oxford clergyman

      AT PUDDINGDALE

      Mr Quiverful, a poor country vicar

      Mrs Quiverful, his wife

      AT ULLATHORNE

      Mr Thorne, the squire of Ullathorne

      Miss Thorne, the squire’s sister

      Lady de Courcy, a titled neighbour of the Thornes

      PART ONE: WAR IN BARCHESTER

      1

      The new bishop

      During the last ten days of July in the year 1852, in the ancient cathedral city of Barchester, a most important question was asked every hour and answered every hour in different ways–’Who is to be the new bishop?’

      Old Dr Grantly, who had for many years occupied the bishop’s chair, was dying, just as the government of the country was about to change. The bishop’s son, Archdeacon Grantly, had recently taken on many of his father’s duties, and it was fairly well understood that the present prime minister would choose him as the new bishop. It was a difficult time for the archdeacon. The prime minister had never promised him the post in so many words, but those who know anything of government will be well aware that encouragement is often given by a whisper from a great man or one of his friends. The archdeacon had heard such a whisper, and allowed himself to hope.

      A month ago, the doctors had said the old man would live just four more weeks. Only yesterday they had examined him again, expressed their surprise, and given him another two weeks. Now the son was sitting by his father’s bedside, calculating his chances. The government would fall within five days, that much was certain; his father would die within – no, he refused to think that. He tried to keep his mind on other matters, but the race was so very close, and the prize so very great. He looked at the dying man’s calm face. As far as he and the doctors could judge, life might yet hang there for weeks to come. The old bishop slept for twenty of the twenty-four hours, but during his waking moments he was able to recognize both his son and his dear old friend, Mr Harding, the archdeacon’s father-in-law. Now he lay sleeping like a baby. Nothing could be easier than the old man’s passing from this world to the next.

      But by no means easy were the emotions of the man who sat there watching. He knew it must be now or never. He was already over fifty, and there was little chance that the next prime minister would think as kindly of him as the present one did. He thought long and sadly, in deep silence, and then at last dared to ask himself whether he really desired his father’s death.

      The question was answered in a moment. The proud man sank on his knees by the bedside, and, taking the bishop’s hand in his own, prayed eagerly that his sins would be forgiven.

      Just then the door opened and Mr Harding entered. Dr Grantly rose quickly, and as he did so, Mr Harding took both his hands and pressed them warmly. There was a stronger feeling between them than there had ever been before.

      ‘God bless you, my dears,’ said the bishop in a weak voice as he woke. ‘God bless you!’ and so he died.

      At first neither the archdeacon nor his father-in-law knew that life was gone, but after a