"Refer him to the archdeacon," he repeated, as Mr Harding spoke of Bold and his visit.

"The archdeacon will set you quite right about that," he kindly said, when his friend spoke with hesitation of the justness of his cause.

"No man has got up all that so well as the archdeacon;" but the dose, though large, failed to quiet the patient; indeed it almost produced nausea.
"But, bishop," said he, "did you ever read John Hiram's will ?" The bishop thought probably he had, thirty-five years ago, when first instituted to his see, but could not state positively: however, he very well knew that he had the absolute right to present to the wardenship, and that the income of the warden had been regularly settled.
"But, bishop, the question is, who has the power to settle it?
If, as this young man says, the will provides that the proceeds of the property are to be divided into shares, who has the power to alter these provisions ?" The bishop had an indistinct idea that they altered themselves by the lapse of years; that a kind of ecclesiastical statute of limitation barred the rights of the twelve bedesmen to any increase of income arising from the increased value of property.

He said something about tradition; more of the many learned men who by their practice had confirmed the present arrangement; then went at some length into the propriety of maintaining the due difference in rank and income between a beneficed clergyman and certain poor old men who were dependent on charity; and concluded his argument by another reference to the archdeacon.
The precentor sat thoughtfully gazing at the fire, and listening to the good-natured reasoning of his friend.

What the bishop said had a sort of comfort in it, but it was not a sustaining comfort.