The Bishop's Secret

A mysterious visitor upsets the village Bishop, a snake in the midst raises its head and smells opportunity. If the Bishop has a secret, mayhaps he can topple the Bishop from his cozy place and make it his. So starts a tale of rumor and misinformation that results in death for some and disgrace for others. At the end while truth will set many at ease, the reality of small village life will cause a lifetime of heartbreak for one. Mr. Hume's treatment of the peculiar and exclusive ecclesiastical society of a small English cathedral city is a welcome and marvelous broadening out of a cast of characters, representing an unusually wide range of typical men and women. They are not laboriously described, but are made to reveal themselves in action and speech.