第3章

Howmuchsweetsolace，howmuchvaluedcounselhasourarchdeaconreceivedwithinthatsaintedenclosure！’Tistherealonethatheunbends，andcomesdownfromhishighchurchpedestaltothelevelofamortalman。IntheworldDrGrantlyneverlaysasidethatdemeanourwhichsowellbecomeshim。 Hehasallthedignityofanancientsaintwiththesleeknessofamodernbishop；heisalwaysthesame；heisalwaysthearchdeacon；unlikeHomer，henevernods。Evenwithhisfather-in-law，evenwiththebishopanddean，hemaintainsthatsonoroustoneandloftydeportmentwhichstrikesaweintotheyoungheartsofBarchester，andabsolutelycowsthewholeparishofPlumsteadEpiscopi。’Tisonlywhenhehasexchangedthatever-newshovelhatforatassellednightcap，andthoseshiningblackhabilimentsforhisaccustomedrobedenuit，thatDrGrantlytalks，andlooks，andthinkslikeanordinaryman。 Manyofushaveoftenthoughthowsevereatrialoffaithmustthisbetothewivesofourgreatchurchdignitaries。TousthesemenarepersonificationsofStPaul；theirverygaitisaspeakingsermon；theircleanandsombreapparelexactsfromusfaithandsubmission，andthecardinalvirtuesseemtohoverroundtheirsacredhats。Adeanorarchbishop，inthegarbofhisorder，issureofourreverence，andawell-got-upbishopfillsourverysoulswithawe。Buthowcanthisfeelingbeperpetuatedinthebosomsofthosewhoseethebishopswithouttheiraprons，andthearchdeaconseveninalowerstateofdishabille？ Dowenotallknowsomereverend，allbutsacred，personagebeforewhomourtongueceasestobeloudandoursteptobeelastic？Butwereweoncetoseehimstretchhimselfbeneaththebed-clothes，yawnwidely，andburyhisfaceuponhispillow，wecouldchatterbeforehimasgliblyasbeforeadoctororalawyer。Fromsomesuchcause，doubtless，itarosethatourarchdeaconlistenedtothecounselsofhiswife，thoughheconsideredhimselfentitledtogivecounseltoeveryotherbeingwhomhemet。 ’Mydear，’hesaid，asheadjustedthecopiousfoldsofhisnightcap，’therewasthatJohnBoldatyourfather’sagaintoday。Imustsayyourfatherisveryimprudent。’ ’Heisimprudent——healwayswas，’repliedMrsGrantly，speakingfromunderthecomfortablebed-clothes。’There’snothingnewinthat。’ ’No，mydear，there’snothingnew——Iknowthat；but，atthepresentjunctureofaffairs，suchimprudenceis——is——I’lltellyouwhat，mydear，ifhedoesnottakecarewhathe’sabout，JohnBoldwillbeoffwithEleanor。’ ’Ithinkhewill，whetherpapatakescareorno；andwhynot？’ ’Whynot！’almostscreamedthearchdeacon，givingsoroughapullathisnightcapasalmosttobringitoverhisnose； ’whynot！-thatpestilent，interferingupstart，JohnBold——themostvulgaryoungpersonIevermet！Doyouknowthatheismeddlingwithyourfather’saffairsinamostuncalled-for—— most——’Andbeingatalossforanepithetsufficientlyinjurious，hefinishedhisexpressionsofhorrorbymuttering，’Goodheavens！’inamannerthathadbeenfoundveryefficaciousinclericalmeetingsofthediocese。Hemustforthemomenthaveforgottenwherehewas。 ’Astohisvulgarity，archdeacon’(MrsGrantlyhadneverassumedamorefamiliartermthanthisinaddressingherhusband)，’Idon’tagreewithyou。NotthatIlikeMrBold——heisagreatdealtooconceitedforme；butthenEleanordoes，anditwouldbethebestthingintheworldforpapaiftheyweretomarry。BoldwouldnevertroublehimselfaboutHiram’sHospitalifhewerepapa’sson-in-law。’Andtheladyturnedherselfroundunderthebed-clothes，inamannertowhichthedoctorwaswellaccustomed，andwhichtoldhim，asplainlyaswords，thatasfarasshewasconcernedthesubjectwasoverforthatnight。 ’Goodheavens！’murmuredthedoctoragain——hewasevidentlymuchputbesidehimself。 DrGrantlyisbynomeansabadman；heisexactlythemanwhichsuchaneducationashiswasmostlikelytoform； hisintellectbeingsufficientforsuchaplaceintheworld，butnotsufficienttoputhiminadvanceofit。Heperformswitharigidconstancysuchofthedutiesofaparishclergymanasare，tohisthinking，abovethesphereofhiscurate，butitisasanarchdeaconthatheshines。 Webelieve，asageneralrule，thateitherabishoporhisarchdeaconshavesinecures:whereabishopworks，archdeaconshavebutlittletodo，andviceversa。InthedioceseofBarchestertheArchdeaconofBarchesterdoesthework。Inthatcapacityheisdiligent，authoritative，and，ashisfriendsparticularlyboast，judicious。Hisgreatfaultisanoverbearingassuranceofthevirtuesandclaimsofhisorder，andhisgreatfoibleisanequallystrongconfidenceinthedignityofhisownmannerandtheeloquenceofhisownwords。Heisamoralman，believingthepreceptswhichheteaches，andbelievingalsothatheactsuptothem；thoughwecannotsaythathewouldgivehiscoattothemanwhotookhiscloak，orthatheispreparedtoforgivehisbrotherevenseventimes。Heissevereenoughinexactinghisdues，consideringthatanylaxityinthisrespectwouldendangerthesecurityofthechurch；and，couldhehavehisway，hewouldconsigntodarknessandperdition，notonlyeveryindividualreformer，buteverycommitteeandeverycommissionthatwouldevendaretoaskaquestionrespectingtheappropriationofchurchrevenues。 ’Theyarechurchrevenues:thelaityadmitit。Surelythechurchisabletoadministerherownrevenues。’’Twasthushewasaccustomedtoargue，whenthesacrilegiousdoingsofLordJohnRussellandotherswerediscussedeitheratBarchesteroratOxford。 ItwasnowonderthatDrGrantlydidnotlikeJohnBold，andthathiswife’ssuggestionthatheshouldbecomecloselyconnectedwithsuchamandismayedhim。Togivehimhisdue，thearchdeaconneverwantedcourage；hewasquitewillingtomeethisenemyonanyfieldandwithanyweapon。 Hehadthatbeliefinhisownargumentsthathefeltsureofsuccess，couldheonlybesureofafairfightonthepartofhisadversary。HehadnoideathatJohnBoldcouldreallyprovethattheincomeofthehospitalwasmalappropriated；why，then，shouldpeacebesoughtforonsuchbaseterms？What！ bribeanunbelievingenemyofthechurchwiththesister-in-lawofonedignitaryandthedaughterofanother——withayoungladywhoseconnectionswiththedioceseandchapterofBarchesterweresocloseastogiveheranundeniableclaimtoahusbandendowedwithsomeofitssacredwealth！WhenDrGrantlytalksofunbelievingenemies，hedoesnotmeantoimplywantofbeliefinthedoctrinesofthechurch，butanequallydangerousscepticismastoitspurityinmoneymatters。 MrsGrantlyisnotusuallydeaftotheclaimsofthehighordertowhichshebelongs。Sheandherhusbandrarelydisagreeastothetonewithwhichthechurchshouldbedefended； howsingular，then，thatinsuchacaseasthissheshouldbewillingtosuccumb！Thearchdeaconagainmurmurs’Goodheavens！’ashelayshimselfbesideher，buthedoessoinavoiceaudibleonlytohimself，andherepeatsittillsleeprelieveshimfromdeepthought。 MrHardinghimselfhasseennoreasonwhyhisdaughtershouldnotloveJohnBold。Hehasnotbeenunobservantofherfeelings，andperhapshisdeepestregretatthepartwhichhefearsBoldisabouttotakeregardingthehospitalarisesfromthedreadthathemaybeseparatedfromhisdaughter，orthatshemaybeseparatedfromthemansheloves。HehasneverspokentoEleanoraboutherlover；heisthelastmanintheworldtoalludetosuchasubjectunconsulted，evenwithhisowndaughter；andhadheconsideredthathehadgroundtodisapproveofBold，hewouldhaveremovedher，orforbiddenhimhishouse；buthesawnosuchground。Hewouldprobablyhavepreferredasecondclericalson-in-law，forMrHarding，also，isattachedtohisorder；and，failinginthat，hewouldatanyratehavewishedthatsonearaconnectionshouldhavethoughtalikewithhimonchurchmatters。Hewouldnot，however，rejectthemanhisdaughterlovedbecausehedifferedonsuchsubjectswithhimself。 HithertoBoldhadtakennostepsinthematterinanywayannoyingtoMrHardingpersonally。Somemonthssince，afteraseverebattle，whichcosthimnotalittlemoney，hegainedavictoryoveracertainoldturnpikewomanintheneighbourhood，ofwhosechargesanotheroldwomanhadcomplainedtohim。HegottheActofParliamentrelatingtothetrust，foundthathisprotegeehadbeenwronglytaxed，rodethroughthegatehimself，payingthetoll，thenbroughtanactionagainstthegate-keeper，andprovedthatallpeoplecomingupacertainby-lane，andgoingdownacertainotherby-lane，weretoll-free。Thefameofhissuccessspreadwidelyabroad，andhebegantobelookedonastheupholderoftherightsofthepoorofBarchester。Notlongafterthissuccess，heheardfromdifferentquartersthatHiram’sbedesmenweretreatedaspaupers，whereasthepropertytowhichtheywere，ineffect，heirswasverylarge；andhewasinstigatedbythelawyerwhomhehademployedinthecaseoftheturnpiketocalluponMrChadwickforastatementastothefundsoftheestate。 Boldhadoftenexpressedhisindignationatthemalappropriationofchurchfundsingeneral，inthehearingofhisfriendtheprecentor；buttheconversationhadneverreferredtoanythingatBarchester；andwhenFinney，theattorney，inducedhimtointerferewiththeaffairsofthehospital，itwasagainstMrChadwickthathiseffortsweretobedirected。 BoldsoonfoundthatifheinterferedwithMrChadwickassteward，hemustalsointerferewithMrHardingaswarden； andthoughheregrettedthesituationinwhichthiswouldplacehim，hewasnotthemantoflinchfromhisundertakingfrompersonalmotives。 Assoonashehaddeterminedtotakethematterinhand，hesetabouthisworkwithhisusualenergy。HegotacopyofJohnHiram’swill，ofthewordingofwhichhemadehimselfperfectlymaster。Heascertainedtheextentoftheproperty，andasnearlyashecouldthevalueofit；andmadeoutascheduleofwhathewasinformedwasthepresentdistributionofitsincome。Armedwiththeseparticulars，hecalledonMrChadwick，havinggiventhatgentlemannoticeofhisvisit； andaskedhimforastatementoftheincomeandexpenditureofthehospitalforthelasttwenty-fiveyears。 Thiswasofcourserefused，MrChadwickallegingthathehadnoauthorityformakingpublictheconcernsofapropertyinmanagingwhichhewasonlyapaidservant。 ’Andwhoiscompetenttogiveyouthatauthority，MrChadwick？’ askedBold。 ’Onlythosewhoemployme，MrBold，’saidthesteward。 ’Andwhoarethose，MrChadwick？’demandedBold。 MrChadwickbeggedtosaythatiftheseinquiriesweremademerelyoutofcuriosity，hemustdeclineansweringthem: