could not but continue the investigation. He had done so with as much
silence as the nature of the work admitted. But by the day of the
magistrate's meeting at Silverbridge, the subject had become common
through the county, and men's minds were much divided.

All Hogglestock believed their parson to be innocent; but then all
Hogglestock believed him to be mad. At Silverbridge the tradesmen with
whom he had dealt, and to whom he had owed, and still owed, money, all
declared him to be innocent. They knew something of the man personally,
and could not believe him to be a thief. All the ladies at Silverbridge,
too, were sure of his innocence. It was to them impossible that such a
man should have stolen twenty pounds. 'My dear,' said the eldest Miss
Prettyman to poor Grace Crawley, 'in England, where the laws are good,
no gentleman is ever made out to be guilty when he is innocent; and your
papa, of course, is innocent. Therefore you should not trouble
yourself.' 'It will break papa's heart,' Grace had said, and she did
trouble herself. But the gentlemen in Silverbridge were made of sterner
stuff, and believed the man to be guilty, clergyman and gentleman though
he was. Mr Walker, who among the lights in Silverbridge was the leading
light, would not speak a word upon the subject to anybody; and then
everybody, who was anybody, knew that Mr Walker was convinced of the
man's guilt. Had Mr Walker believed him to be innocent, his tongue would
have been ready enough. John Walker, who was in the habit of laughing at
his father's good nature, had no doubt upon the subject. Mr Winthrop, Mr
Walker's partner, shook his head. People did not think much of Mr
Winthrop, excepting certain unmarried ladies; for Mr Winthrop was a
bachelor, and had plenty of money. People did not think much of Mr
Winthrop; but still on this subject he might know something, and when he
shook his head he manifestly intended to indicate guilt. And Dr Tempest,
the rector of Silverbridge, did not hesitate to declare his belief in