Barchester Towers Chapter 33 - Mrs. Proudie Victrix

In which the tranquillity of Barchester belies the subtle tensions and schemes of its inhabitants, as Mrs. Bold finds herself caught in the congenial yet cunning embrace of the Stanhopes, while the bishop returns to encounter the formidable will of his wife, Mrs. Proudie, who broods darkly over the prospects of Mr. Slope’s ambitions. Amid preparations for a rural fête at Ullathorne, delicate social alliances and resentments simmer quietly, revealing the gentle complexities of character and station in clerical society.