Mr. Mulliner Stories · Chapter
The Bishop's Move explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Mulliner recounts the next chapter in Augustine's life, now serving as secretary to the Bishop of Stortford. The bishop is pressured by his wife to give a vacant living to her incompetent cousin instead of Augustine, who takes the disappointment in stride. They travel to Harchester School for the unveiling of a statue to Lord Hemel of Hempstead, where the bishop is overwhelmed by nostalgic schoolboy feelings. After the ceremony, the bishop and headmaster Trevor Entwhistle, exhausted, sample Augustine's Buck-U-Uppo tonic and find it surprisingly pleasant.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Duty
The bishop is torn between his duty to Augustine and his wife's demand to give the living to her cousin.
Transformation and Self-Improvement
Augustine's cheerful resilience and the Buck-U-Uppo tonic symbolize personal transformation and coping.
Absurdity of Modern Life
The bishop's schoolboy fears resurface absurdly, and the tonic's effects add comic absurdity.
Characters to notice
- Augustine Mulliner
Now the bishop's secretary; takes disappointment about the living cheerfully and recommends Buck-U-Uppo tonic.
- Mr. Mulliner
Narrates the story in the bar-parlour after attending Evensong.
- Trevor Entwhistle
Headmaster of Harchester, old schoolfellow of the bishop, invites him to unveil the statue.
- General Bloodenough
Chairman of the College Board of Governors, praises the bishop's speech.
Key passages
“It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman in a wide house. Proverbs 21:9.”
The bishop quotes scripture to explain that living peacefully alone is preferable to living with a quarrelsome wife.
The bishop uses this verse to justify giving in to his wife's demand.
“I keep smiling, and take the Buck-U-Uppo daily.”
Augustine says he stays cheerful by taking the tonic every day.
Augustine reveals his secret to maintaining a positive attitude.
“It sort of sends a kind of glow over you.”
The bishop describes the pleasant warming sensation from the tonic.
After sampling the Buck-U-Uppo, the bishop and headmaster enjoy its effects.