_Why were you not among those old friends, Wentworth ?_" "I _was_ among them," said Wentworth, meeting the Bishop's sombre eyes.
"You never answered it, so I suppose you never received it, but at the time I wrote you a long letter assuring you that I for one had not joined in the cry against you, even though my uncle did.

I frankly owned that, while I regarded the appointment as an ill-considered one, I took for granted that Mr.Rawlings was suited for the place.

I said that I knew you far too well to suppose even for a moment that you would have given the post to a man, even if he were your son-in-law, unless he had been competent to fill it.

You never answered the letter, so I suppose it failed to reach you." "I received it," said the Bishop slowly.

"I felt it to be an illuminating document, but it did not seem to call for an answer.