第4章

ifMrBoldhadanyulteriorproceedinginview，perhapsitwouldbedesirablethatanynecessaryinformationshouldbesoughtforinaprofessionalwaybyaprofessionalman。MrChadwick’sattorneyswereMessrsCoxandCummins，ofLincoln’sInn。MrBoldtookdowntheaddressofCoxandCummins，remarkedthattheweatherwascoldforthetimeoftheyear，andwishedMrChadwickgood-morning。MrChadwicksaiditwascoldforJune，andbowedhimout。 Heatoncewenttohislawyer，Finney。Now，Boldwasnotveryfondofhisattorney，but，ashesaid，hemerelywantedamanwhoknewtheformsoflaw，andwhowoulddowhathewastoldforhismoney。Hehadnoideaofputtinghimselfinthehandsofalawyer。Hewantedlawfromalawyerashedidacoatfromatailor，becausehecouldnotmakeitsowellhimself；andhethoughtFinneythefittestmaninBarchesterforhispurpose。Inonerespect，atanyrate，hewasright: Finneywashumilityitself。 FinneyadvisedaninstantlettertoCoxandCummins，mindfulofhissix-and-eightpence。’Slapatthematonce，MrBold。Demandcategoricallyandexplicitlyafullstatementoftheaffairsofthehospital。’ ’SupposeIweretoseeMrHardingfirst，’suggestedBold。 ’Yes，yes，byallmeans，’saidtheacquiescingFinney； ’though，perhaps，asMrHardingisnomanofbusiness，itmaylead——leadtosomelittledifficulties；butperhapsyou’reright。 MrBold，Idon’tthinkseeingMrHardingcandoanyharm。’ Finneysawfromtheexpressionofhisclient’sfacethatheintendedtohavehisownway。 TheBishopofBarchesterBoldatoncerepairedtothehospital。Thedaywasnowfaradvanced，butheknewthatMrHardingdinedinthesummeratfour，thatEleanorwasaccustomedtodriveintheevening，andthathemightthereforeprobablyfindMrHardingalone。Itwasbetweensevenandeightwhenhereachedtheslightirongateleadingintotheprecentor’sgarden，andthough，asMrChadwickobserved，thedayhadbeencoldforJune，theeveningwasmild，andsoft，andsweet。Thelittlegatewasopen。AsheraisedthelatchheheardthenotesofMrHarding’svioloncellofromthefarendofthegarden，and，advancingbeforethehouseandacrossthelawn，hefoundhimplaying:andnotwithoutanaudience。Themusicianwasseatedinagarden-chairjustwithinthesummer-house，soastoallowthevioloncellowhichheheldbetweenhiskneestorestuponthedrystoneflooring；beforehimstoodaroughmusicdesk，onwhichwasopenapageofthatdearsacredbook，thatmuch-labouredandmuch-lovedvolumeofchurchmusic，whichhadcostsomanyguineas；andaroundsat，andlay，andstood，andleaned，tenofthetwelveoldmenwhodweltwithhimbeneatholdJohnHiram’sroof。Thetworeformerswerenotthere。Iwillnotsaythatintheirheartstheywereconsciousofanywrongdoneortobedonetotheirmildwarden，butlatterlytheyhadkeptalooffromhim，andhismusicwasnolongertotheirtaste。 Itwasamusingtoseethepositions，andeagerlisteningfacesofthesewell-to-dooldmen。Iwillnotsaythattheyallappreciatedthemusicwhichtheyheard，buttheywereintentonappearingtodoso；pleasedatbeingwheretheywere，theyweredetermined，asfarasinthemlay，togivepleasureinreturn；andtheywerenotunsuccessful。Itgladdenedtheprecentor’shearttothinkthattheoldbedesmenwhomhelovedsowelladmiredthestrainswhichweretohimsofullofalmostecstaticjoy；andheusedtoboastthatsuchwastheairofthehospital，astomakeitaprecinctspeciallyfitfortheworshipofStCecilia。 Immediatelybeforehim，ontheextremecornerofthebenchwhichranroundthesummer-house，satoneoldman，withhishandkerchiefsmoothlylainuponhisknees，whodidenjoythemoment，oractedenjoymentwell。Hewasoneonwhoselargeframemanyyears，forhewasovereighty，hadmadesmallhavoc——hewasstillanupright，burly，handsomefigure，withanopen，ponderousbrow，roundwhichclungafew，thoughveryfew，thingraylocks。Thecoarseblackgownofthehospital，thebreeches，andbuckledshoesbecamehimwell；andashesatwithhishandsfoldedonhisstaff，andhischinrestingonhishands，hewassuchalistenerasmostmusicianswouldbegladtowelcome。 Thismanwascertainlytheprideofthehospital。Ithadalwaysbeenthecustomthatoneshouldbeselectedasbeingtosomeextentinauthorityovertheothers；andthoughMrBunce，forsuchwashisname，andsohewasalwaysdesignatedbyhisinferiorbrethren，hadnogreateremolumentsthanthey，hehadassumed，andwellknewhowtomaintain，thedignityofhiselevation。Theprecentordelightedtocallhimhissub-warden，andwasnotashamed，occasionally，whennootherguestwasthere，tobidhimsitdownbythesameparlourfire，anddrinkthefullglassofportwhichwasplacednearhim。Bunceneverwentwithoutthesecondglass，butnoentreatyevermadehimtakeathird。 ’Well，well，MrHarding；you’retoogood，muchtoogood，’ he’dalwayssay，asthesecondglasswasfilled；butwhenthatwasdrunk，andthehalfhourover，Buncestooderect，andwithabenedictionwhichhispatronvalued，retiredtohisownabode。Heknewtheworldtoowelltoriskthecomfortofsuchhalcyonmoments，byprolongingthemtilltheyweredisagreeable。 MrBunce，asmaybeimagined，wasmoststronglyopposedtoinnovation。NotevenDrGrantlyhadamoreholyhorrorofthosewhowouldinterfereintheaffairsofthehospital；hewaseveryinchachurchman，andthoughhewasnotveryfondofDrGrantlypersonally，thatarosefromtherenotbeingroominthehospitalfortwopeoplesomuchalikeasthedoctorandhimself，ratherthanfromanydissimilarityinfeeling。MrBuncewasinclinedtothinkthatthewardenandhimselfcouldmanagethehospitalwithoutfurtherassistance；andthat，thoughthebishopwastheconstitutionalvisitor，andassuchentitledtospecialreverencefromallconnectedwithJohnHiram’swill，JohnHiramneverintendedthathisaffairsshouldbeinterferedwithbyanarchdeacon。 Atthepresentmoment，however，thesecareswereoffhismind，andhewaslookingathiswarden，asthoughhethoughtthemusicheavenly，andthemusicianhardlylessso。 AsBoldwalkedsilentlyoverthelawn，MrHardingdidnotatfirstperceivehim，andcontinuedtodrawhisbowslowlyacrosstheplaintivewires；buthesoonfoundfromhisaudiencethatsomestrangerwasthere，andlookingup，begantowelcomehisyoungfriendwithfrankhospitality。 ’Pray，MrHarding——praydon’tletmedisturbyou，’saidBold；’youknowhowfondIamofsacredmusic。’ ’Oh！it’snothing，’saidtheprecentor，shuttingupthebookandthenopeningitagainashesawthedelightfullyimploringlookofhisoldfriendBunce。Oh，Bunce，Bunce，Bunce，Ifearthatafterallthouartbutaflatterer。’Well，I’lljustfinishitthen；it’safavouritelittlebitofBishop’s；andthen，MrBold，we’llhaveastrollandachattillEleanorcomesinandgivesustea。’AndsoBoldsatdownonthesoftturftolisten，orrathertothinkhow，aftersuchsweetharmony，hemightbestintroduceathemeofsomuchdiscord，todisturbthepeaceofhimwhowassoreadytowelcomehimkindly。 Boldthoughtthattheperformancewassoonover，forhefeltthathehadasomewhatdifficulttask，andhealmostregrettedthefinalleave-takingofthelastoftheoldmen，slowastheywereingoingthroughtheiradieux。 Bold’sheartwasinhismouth，astheprecentormadesomeordinarybutkindremarkastothefriendlinessofthevisit。 ’Oneeveningcall，’saidhe，’isworthteninthemorning。 It’sallformalityinthemorning；realsocialtalkneverbeginstillafterdinner。That’swhyIdineearlysoastogetasmuchasIcanofit。’ ’Quitetrue，MrHarding，’saidtheother；’butIfearI’vereversedtheorderofthings，andIoweyoumuchapologyfortroublingyouonbusinessatsuchanhour；butitisonbusinessthatIhavecalledjustnow。’ MrHardinglookedblankandannoyed；therewassomethinginthetoneoftheyoungman’svoicewhichtoldhimthattheinterviewwasintendedtobedisagreeable，andheshrankbackatfindinghiskindlygreetingsorepulsed。 ’Iwishtospeaktoyouaboutthehospital，’continuedBold。 ’Well，well，anythingIcantellyouIshallbemosthappy——’ ’It’sabouttheaccounts。’ ’Then，mydearfellow，Icantellyounothing，forI’masignorantasachild。AllIknowis，thattheypayme#800ayear。 GotoChadwick，heknowsallabouttheaccounts；andnowtellme，willpoorMaryJonesevergettheuseofherlimbagain？’ ’Well，Ithinkshewill，ifshe’scareful；but，MrHarding，Ihopeyouwon’tobjecttodiscusswithmewhatIhavetosayaboutthehospital。’ MrHardinggaveadeep，long-drawnsigh。Hedidobject，verystronglyobject，todiscussanysuchsubjectwithJohnBold；buthehadnotthebusinesstactofMrChadwick，anddidnotknowhowtorelievehimselffromthecomingevil；hesighedsadly，butmadenoanswer。 ’Ihavethegreatestregardforyou，MrHarding，’continuedBold；’thetruestrespect，themostsincere——’ ’Thankye，thankye，MrBold，’interjaculatedtheprecentorsomewhatimpatiently；’I’mmuchobliged，butnevermindthat；I’maslikelytobeinthewrongasanotherman——quiteaslikely。’ ’But，MrHarding，ImustexpresswhatIfeel，lestyoushouldthinkthereispersonalenmityinwhatI’mgoingtodo。’ ’Personalenmity！Goingtodo！Why，you’renotgoingtocutmythroat，norputmeintotheEcclesiasticalCourt！’ Boldtriedtolaugh，buthecouldn’t。Hewasquiteinearnest，anddeterminedinhiscourse，andcouldn’tmakeajokeofit。Hewalkedonawhileinsilencebeforeherecommencedhisattack，duringwhichMrHarding，whohadstillthebowinhishand，playedrapidlyonanimaginaryvioloncello。’I fearthereisreasontothinkthatJohnHiram’swillisnotcarriedouttotheletter，MrHarding，’saidtheyoungmanatlast；’andIhavebeenaskedtoseeintoit。’ ’Verywell，I’venoobjectiononearth；andnowweneednotsayanotherwordaboutit。’ ’Onlyonewordmore，MrHarding。ChadwickhasreferredmetoCoxandCummins，andIthinkitmydutytoapplytothemforsomestatementaboutthehospital。InwhatIdoI mayappeartobeinterferingwithyou，andIhopeyouwillforgivemefordoingso。’