第8章

DrGrantlyVisitstheHospitalThoughdoubtandhesitationdisturbedtherestofourpoorwarden，nosuchweaknessperplexedthenoblerbreastofhisson-in-law。Astheindomitablecockpreparingforthecombatsharpenshisspurs，shakeshisfeathers，anderectshiscomb，sodidthearchdeaconarrangehisweaponsforthecomingwar，withoutmisgivingandwithoutfear。Thathewasfullyconfidentofthejusticeofhiscauseletnoonedoubt。Manyamancanfighthisbattlewithgoodcourage，butwithadoubtingconscience。SuchwasnotthecasewithDrGrantly。HedidnotbelieveintheGospelwithmoreassurancethanhedidinthesacredjusticeofallecclesiasticalrevenues。WhenheputhisshouldertothewheeltodefendtheincomeofthepresentandfutureprecentorsofBarchester，hewasanimatedbyasstrongasenseofaholycause，asthatwhichgivescouragetoamissionaryinAfrica，orenablesasisterofmercytogiveupthepleasuresoftheworldforthewardsofahospital。Hewasabouttodefendtheholyofholiesfromthetouchoftheprofane；toguardthecitadelofhischurchfromthemostrampantofitsenemies；toputonhisgoodarmourinthebestoffights；andsecure，ifpossible，thecomfortsofhiscreedforcominggenerationsofecclesiasticaldignitaries。Suchaworkrequirednoordinaryvigour；andthearchdeaconwas，therefore，extraordinarilyvigorous。Itdemandedabuoyantcourage，andahearthappyinitstoil；andthearchdeacon’sheartwashappy，andhiscouragewasbuoyant。 Heknewthathewouldnotbeabletoanimatehisfather-in-lawwithfeelingslikehisown，butthisdidnotmuchdisturbhim。Hepreferredtobearthebruntofthebattlealone，anddidnotdoubtthatthewardenwouldresignhimselfintohishandswithpassivesubmission。 ’Well，MrChadwick，’hesaid，walkingintothesteward’sofficeadayortwoafterthesigningofthepetitionascommemoratedinthelastchapter:’anythingfromCoxandCumminsthismorning？’MrChadwickhandedhimaletter； whichheread，strokingthetight-gaiteredcalfofhisrightlegashedidso。MessrsCoxandCumminsmerelysaidthattheyhadasyetreceivednonoticefromtheiradversaries；thattheycouldrecommendnopreliminarysteps；butthatshouldanyproceedingreallybetakenbythebedesmen，itwouldbeexpedienttoconsultthatveryeminentQueen’sCounsel，SirAbrahamHaphazard。 ’Iquiteagreewiththem，’saidDrGrantly，refoldingtheletter。’Iperfectlyagreewiththem。Haphazardisnodoubtthebestman；athoroughchurchman，asoundconservative，andineveryrespectthebestmanwecouldget——he’sintheHouse，too，whichisagreatthing。’ MrChadwickquiteagreed。 ’YourememberhowcompletelyheputdownthatscoundrelHorsemanabouttheBishopofBeverley’sincome；howcompletelyhesetthemalladriftintheearl’scase。’SincethequestionofStCrosshadbeenmootedbythepublic，onenoblelordhadbecome’theearl，’parexcellence，inthedoctor’sestimation。 ’HowhesilencedthatfellowatRochester。OfcoursewemusthaveHaphazard；andI’lltellyouwhat，MrChadwick，wemusttakecaretobeintime，ortheotherpartywillforestallus。’ WithallhisadmirationforSirAbraham，thedoctorseemedtothinkitnotimpossiblethatthatgreatmanmightbeinducedtolendhisgiganticpowerstothesideofthechurch’senemies。 Havingsettledthispointtohissatisfaction，thedoctorsteppeddowntothehospital，tolearnhowmattersweregoingonthere；andashewalkedacrossthehallowedclose，andlookedupattheravenswhocawedwithapeculiarreverenceashewendedhisway，hethoughtwithincreasedacerbityofthosewhoseimpietywouldventuretodisturbthegoodlygraceofcathedralinstitutions。 Andwhohasnotfeltthesame？WebelievethatMrHorsemanhimselfwouldrelent，andthespiritofSirBenjaminHallgiveway，werethosegreatreformerstoallowthemselvestostrollbymoonlightroundthetowersofsomeofourancientchurches。WhowouldnotfeelcharityforaprebendarywhenwalkingthequietlengthofthatlongaisleatWinchester，lookingatthosedecenthouses，thattrimgrass-plat，andfeeling，asonemust，thesolemn，orderlycomfortofthespot！WhocouldbeharduponadeanwhilewanderingroundthesweetcloseofHereford，andowningthatinthatprecinct，toneandcolour，designandform，solemntowerandstoriedwindow，areallinunison，andallperfect！WhocouldliebaskinginthecloistersofSalisbury，andgazeonJewel’slibraryandthatunequalledspire，withoutfeelingthatbishopsshouldsometimesberich！ Thetoneofourarchdeacon’smindmustnotastonishus； ithasbeenthegrowthofcenturiesofchurchascendancy；andthoughsomefunginowdisfigurethetree，thoughtherebemuchdeadwood，forhowmuchgoodfruithavenotwetobethankful？Who，withoutremorse，canbatterdownthedeadbranchesofanoldoak，nowuseless，but，ah！stillsobeautiful，ordragoutthefragmentsoftheancientforest，withoutfeelingthattheyshelteredtheyoungerplants，towhichtheyarenowsummonedtogivewayinatonesoperemptoryandsoharsh？ Thearchdeacon，withallhisvirtues，wasnotamanofdelicatefeeling；andafterhavingmadehismorningsalutationsinthewarden’sdrawing-room，hedidnotscrupletocommenceanattackon’pestilent’JohnBoldinthepresenceofMissHarding，thoughherightlyguessedthatthatladywasnotindifferenttothenameofhisenemy。 ’Nelly，mydear，fetchmemyspectaclesfromthebackroom，’saidherfather，anxioustosavebothherblushesandherfeelings。 Eleanorbroughtthespectacles，whileherfatherwastrying，inambiguousphrases，toexplaintohertoo-practicalbrother- in-lawthatitmightbeaswellnottosayanythingaboutBoldbeforeher，andthenretreated。NothinghadbeenexplainedtoheraboutBoldandthehospital；but，withawoman’sinstinctsheknewthatthingsweregoingwrong。 ’Wemustsoonbedoingsomething，’commencedthearchdeacon，wipinghisbrowswithalarge，bright-colouredhandkerchief，forhehadfeltbusy，andhadwalkedquick，anditwasabroilingsummer’sday。’Ofcourseyouhaveheardofthepetition？’ MrHardingowned，somewhatunwillingly，thathehadheardofit。 ’Well’——thearchdeaconlookedforsomeexpressionsofopinion，butnonecoming，hecontinued——’Wemustbedoingsomething，youknow；wemustn’tallowthesepeopletocutthegroundfromunderuswhilewesitlookingon。’Thearchdeacon，whowasapracticalman，allowedhimselftheuseofeverydayexpressivemodesofspeechwhenamonghisclosestintimates，thoughnoonecouldsoarintoamoreintricatelabyrinthofrefinedphraseologywhenthechurchwasthesubject，andhislowerbrethrenwerehisauditors。 Thewardenstilllookedmutelyinhisface，makingtheslightestpossiblepasseswithanimaginaryfiddlebow，andstopping，ashedidso，sundryimaginarystringswiththefingersofhisotherhand。’Twashisconstantconsolationinconversationaltroubles。Whilethesevexedhimsorely，thepasseswouldbeshortandslow，andtheupperhandwouldnotbeseentowork；nay，thestringsonwhichitoperatedwouldsometimeslieconcealedinthemusician’spocket，andtheinstrumentonwhichheplayedwouldbebeneathhischair—— butashisspiritwarmedtothesubject——ashistrustingheartlookingtothebottomofthatwhichvexedhim，wouldseeitsclearwayout——hewouldrisetoahighermelody，sweeptheunseenstringswithabolderhand，andswiftlyfingeringthecordsfromhisneck，downalonghiswaistcoat，andupagaintohisveryear，createanecstaticstrainofperfectmusic，audibletohimselfandtoStCecilia，andnotwithouteffect。 ’IquiteagreewithCoxandCummins，’continuedthearchdeacon。’TheysaywemustsecureSirAbrahamHaphazard。 IshallnothavetheslightestfearinleavingthecaseinSirAbraham’shands。’ Thewardenplayedtheslowestandsaddestoftunes。Itwasbutadirgeononestring。 ’IthinkSirAbrahamwillnotbelonginlettingMasterBoldknowwhathe’sabout。IfancyIhearSirAbrahamcross-questioninghimattheCommonPleas。’ Thewardenthoughtofhisincomebeingthusdiscussed，hismodestlife，hisdailyhabits，andhiseasywork；andnothingissuedfromthatsinglecord，butalowwailofsorrow。’I supposethey’vesentthispetitionuptomyfather。’Thewardendidn’tknow；heimaginedtheywoulddosothisveryday。 ’WhatIcan’tunderstandis，howyouletthemdoit，withsuchacommandasyouhaveintheplace，orshouldhavewithsuchamanasBunce。Icannotunderstandwhyyouletthemdoit。’ ’Dowhat？’askedthewarden。 ’Why，listentothisfellowBold，andthatotherlowpettifogger，Finney——andgetupthispetitiontoo。Whydidn’tyoutellBuncetodestroythepetition？’ ’Thatwouldhavebeenhardlywise，’saidthewarden。 ’Wise——yes，itwouldhavebeenverywiseifthey’ddoneitamongthemselves。Imustgouptothepalaceandansweritnow，Isuppose。It’saveryshortanswerthey’llget，Icantellyou。’ ’Butwhyshouldn’ttheypetition，doctor？’ ’Whyshouldn’tthey！’respondedthearchdeacon，inaloudbrazenvoice，asthoughallthemeninthehospitalwereexpectedtohearhimthroughthewalls；’whyshouldn’tthey？ I’llletthemknowwhytheyshouldn’t:bythebye，warden，I’dliketosayafewwordstothemalltogether。’ Thewarden’smindmisgavehim，andevenforamomentheforgottoplay。Hebynomeanswishedtodelegatetohisson-in-lawhisplaceandauthorityofwarden；hehadexpresslydeterminednottointerfereinanystepwhichthemenmightwishtotakeinthematterunderdispute；hewasmostanxiousneithertoaccusethemnortodefendhimself。Allthesethingshewasawarethearchdeaconwoulddoinhisbehalf，andthatnotinthemildestmanner；andyetheknewnothowtorefusethepermissionrequested。 ’I’dsomuchsoonerremainquietinthematter，’saidhe，inanapologeticvoice。 Quiet！’saidthearchdeacon，stillspeakingwithhisbrazentrumpet；’doyouwishtoberuinedinquiet？’ ’Why，ifIamtoberuined，certainly。’ ’Nonsense，warden；Itellyousomethingmustbedone