第9章

wemustact；justletmeringthebell，andsendthemenwordthatI’llspeaktotheminthequad。’ MrHardingknewnothowtoresist，andthedisagreeableorderwasgiven。Thequad，asitwasfamiliarlycalled，wasasmallquadrangle，openononesidetotheriver，andsurroundedontheothersbythehighwallofMrHarding’sgarden，byonegableendofMrHarding’shouse，andbytheendoftherowofbuildingswhichformedtheresidencesofthebedesmen。Itwasflaggedallround，andthecentrewasstoned；smallstoneguttersranfromthefourcornersofthesquaretoagratinginthecentre；andattachedtotheendofMrHarding’shousewasaconduitwithfourcockscoveredoverfromtheweather，atwhichtheoldmengottheirwater，andverygenerallyperformedtheirmorningtoilet。Itwasaquiet，sombreplace，shadedoverbythetreesofthewarden’sgarden。Onthesidetowardstheriver，therestoodarowofstoneseats，onwhichtheoldmenwouldsitandgazeatthelittlefish，astheyflittedbyintherunningstream。Ontheothersideoftheriverwasarich，greenmeadow，runninguptoandjoiningthedeanery，andaslittleopentothepublicasthegardenofthedeanitself。Nothing，therefore，couldbemoreprivatethanthequadofthehospital；anditwastherethatthearchdeacondeterminedtoconveytothemhissenseoftheirrefractoryproceedings。 Theservantsoonbroughtinwordthatthemenwereassembledinthequad，andthearchdeacon，bigwithhispurpose，rosetoaddressthem。 ’Well，warden，ofcourseyou’recoming，’saidhe，seeingthatMrHardingdidnotpreparetofollowhim。 ’Iwishyou’dexcuseme，’saidMrHarding。 ’Forheaven’ssake，don’tletushavedivisioninthecamp，’ repliedthearchdeacon:’letushavealongpullandastrongpull，butaboveallapullalltogether；comewarden，come； don’tbeafraidofyourduty。’ MrHardingwasafraid；hewasafraidthathewasbeingledtodothatwhichwasnothisduty:hewasnot，however，strongenoughtoresist，sohegotupandfollowedhisson-in-law。 Theoldmenwereassembledingroupsinthequadrangle—— elevenofthematleast，forpooroldJohnnyBellwasbed-ridden，andcouldn’tcome；hehad，however，puthismarktothepetition，asoneofHandy’searliestfollowers。’Tistruehecouldnotmovefromthebedwherehelay；’tistruehehadnofriendonearth，butthosewhomthehospitalcontained； andofthosethewardenandhisdaughterwerethemostconstantandmostappreciated；’tistruethateverythingwasadministeredtohimwhichhisfailingbodycouldrequire，orwhichhisfaintappetitecouldenjoy；butstillhisdulleyehadglistenedforamomentattheideaofpossessingahundredpoundsayear’tohisowncheek，’asAbelHandyhadeloquentlyexpressedit；andpooroldJohnnyBellhadgreedilyputhismarktothepetition。 Whenthetwoclergymenappeared，theyalluncoveredtheirheads。Handywasslowtodoit，andhesitated；buttheblackcoatandwaistcoatofwhichhehadspokensoirreverentlyinSkulpit’sroom，haditseffectevenonhim，andhetoodoffedhishat。Bunce，advancingbeforetheothers，bowedlowlytothearchdeacon，andwithaffectionatereverenceexpressedhiswish，thatthewardenandMissEleanorwerequitewell；’andthedoctor’slady，’headded，turningtothearchdeacon，’andthechildrenatPlumstead，andmylord’；andhavingmadehisspeech，healsoretiredamongtheothers，andtookhisplacewiththerestuponthestonebenches。 Asthearchdeaconstooduptomakehisspeech，erectinthemiddleofthatlittlesquare，helookedlikeanecclesiasticalstatueplacedthere，asafittingimpersonationofthechurchmilitanthereonearth；hisshovelhat，large，new，andwell- pronounced，achurchman’shatineveryinch，declaredtheprofessionasplainlyasdoestheQuaker’sbroadbrim；hisheavyeyebrows，largeopeneyes，andfullmouthandchinexpressedthesolidityofhisorder；thebroadchest，amplycoveredwithfinecloth，toldhowwelltodowasitsestate；onehandensconcedwithinhispocket，evincedthepracticalholdwhichourmotherchurchkeepsonhertemporalpossessions； andtheother，looseforaction，wasreadytofightifneedbeinherdefence；and，belowthese，thedecorousbreeches，andneatblackgaitersshowingsoadmirablythatwell-turnedleg，betokenedthedecency，theoutwardbeautyandgraceofourchurchestablishment。 ’Now，mymen，’hebegan，whenhehadsettledhimselfwellinhisposition，’Iwanttosayafewwordstoyou。Yourgoodfriend，thewardenhere，andmyself，andmylordthebishop，onwhosebehalfIwishtospeaktoyou，wouldallbeverysorry，verysorryindeed，thatyoushouldhaveanyjustgroundofcomplaint。Anyjustgroundofcomplaintonyourpartwouldberemovedatoncebythewarden，orbyhislordship，orbymeonhisbehalf，withoutthenecessityofanypetitiononyourpart。’Heretheoratorstoppedforamoment，expectingthatsomelittlemurmursofapplausewouldshowthattheweakestofthemenwerebeginningtogiveway；butnosuchmurmurscame。Bunce，himself，evensatwithclosedlips，muteandunsatisfactory。’Withoutthenecessityofanypetitionatall，’ herepeated。’I’mtoldyouhaveaddressedapetitiontomylord。’Hepausedforareplyfromthemen，andafterawhile，Handypluckedupcourageandsaid，’Yes，wehas。’ ’Youhaveaddressedapetitiontomylord，inwhich，asIaminformed，youexpressanopinionthatyoudonotreceivefromHiram’sestateallthatisyourdue。’Heremostofthemenexpressedtheirassent。’Nowwhatisityouaskfor？Whatisityouwantthatyouhav’n’tgothere？Whatisit——’ ’Ahundredayear，’mutteredoldMoody，withavoiceasifitcameoutoftheground。 ’Ahundredayear！’ejaculatedthearchdeaconmilitant，defyingtheimpudenceoftheseclaimantswithonehandstretchedoutandclosed，whilewiththeotherhetightlygrasped，andsecuredwithinhisbreechespocket，thatsymbolofthechurch’swealthwhichhisownloosehalf-crownsnotunaptlyrepresented。’Ahundredayear！Why，mymen，youmustbemad；andyoutalkaboutJohnHiram’swill！WhenJohnHirambuiltahospitalforworn-outoldmen，worn-outoldlabouringmen，infirmoldmenpasttheirwork，cripples，blind，bed-ridden，andsuchlike，doyouthinkhemeanttomakegentlemenofthem？DoyouthinkJohnHiramintendedtogiveahundredayeartooldsinglemen，whoearnedperhapstwoshillingsorhalf-a-crownadayforthemselvesandfamiliesinthebestoftheirtime？No，mymen，I’lltellyouwhatJohnHirammeant:hemeantthattwelvepooroldworn-outlabourers，menwhocouldnolongersupportthemselves，whohadnofriendstosupportthem，whomuststarveandperishmiserablyifnotprotectedbythehandofcharity；hemeantthattwelvesuchmenastheseshouldcomeinhereintheirpovertyandwretchedness，andfindwithinthesewallsshelterandfoodbeforetheirdeath，andalittleleisuretomaketheirpeacewithGod。ThatwaswhatJohnHirammeant:youhavenotreadJohnHiram’swill，andIdoubtwhetherthosewickedmenwhoareadvisingyouhavedoneso。Ihave；I knowwhathiswillwas；andItellyouthatthatwashiswill，andthatthatwashisintention。’ Notasoundcamefromtheelevenbedesmen，astheysatlisteningtowhat，accordingtothearchdeacon，wastheirintendedestate。Theygrimlystareduponhisburlyfigure，butdidnotthenexpress，bywordorsign，theangeranddisgusttowhichsuchlanguagewassuretogiverise。 ’Nowletmeaskyou，’hecontinued:’doyouthinkyouareworseoffthanJohnHiramintendedtomakeyou？Haveyounotshelter，andfood，andleisure？Haveyounotmuchmore？ Haveyounoteveryindulgencewhichyouarecapableofenjoying？Haveyounottwicebetterfood，twiceabetterbed，tentimesmoremoneyinyourpocketthanyouwereeverabletoearnforyourselvesbeforeyouwereluckyenoughtogetintothisplace？Andnowyousendapetitiontothebishop，askingforahundredpoundsayear！Itellyouwhat，myfriends； youaredeluded，andmadefoolsofbywickedmenwhoareactingfortheirownends。Youwillnevergetahundredpenceayearmorethanwhatyouhavenow:itisverypossiblethatyoumaygetless；itisverypossiblethatmylordthebishop，andyourwarden，maymakechanges——’ ’No，no，no，’interruptedMrHarding，whohadbeenlisteningwithindescribablemiserytothetiradeofhisson-in-law； ’no，myfriends。Iwantnochanges——atleastnochangesthatshallmakeyouworseoffthanyounoware，aslongasyouandIlivetogether。’ ’Godblessyou，MrHarding，’saidBunce；and’Godblessyou，MrHarding，Godblessyou，sir:weknowyouwasalwaysourfriend，’wasexclaimedbyenoughofthementomakeitappearthatthesentimentwasgeneral。 Thearchdeaconhadbeeninterruptedinhisspeechbeforehehadquitefinishedit；buthefeltthathecouldnotrecommencewithdignityafterthislittleebullition，andheledthewaybackintothegarden，followedbyhisfather-in-law。 ’Well，’saidhe，assoonashefoundhimselfwithinthecoolretreatofthewarden’sgarden；’IthinkIspoketothemplainly。’Andhewipedtheperspirationfromhisbrow；formakingaspeechunderabroilingmid-daysuninsummer，inafullsuitofthickblackcloth，iswarmwork。 ’Yes，youwereplainenough，’repliedthewarden，inatonewhichdidnotexpressapprobation。 ’Andthat’severything，’saidtheother，whowasclearlywellsatisfiedwithhimself；’that’severything:withthosesortofpeopleonemustbeplain，oronewillnotbeunderstood。Now，Ithinktheydidunderstandme——IthinktheyknewwhatImeant。’ Thewardenagreed。Hecertainlythoughttheyhadunderstoodtothefullwhathadbeensaidtothem。 ’Theyknowprettywellwhattheyhavetoexpectfromus； theyknowhowweshallmeetanyrefractoryspiritontheirpart；theyknowthatwearenotafraidofthem。AndnowI’lljuststepintoChadwick’s，andtellhimwhatI’vedone；andthenI’llgouptothepalace，andanswerthispetitionoftheirs。’ Thewarden’smindwasveryfull——fullnearlytooverchargingitself；andhaditdoneso——hadheallowedhimselftospeakthethoughtswhichwereworkingwithinhim，hewouldindeedhaveastonishedthearchdeaconbythereprobationhewouldhaveexpressedastotheproceedingofwhichhehadbeensounwillingawitness。Butdifferentfeelingskepthimsilent；hewasasyetafraidofdifferingfromhisson-in-law——hewasanxiousbeyondmeasuretoavoidevenasemblanceofrupturewithanyofhisorder，andwaspainfullyfearfulofhavingtocometoanopenquarrelwithanypersononanysubject。Hislifehadhithertobeensoquiet，sofreefromstrife；hislittleearlytroubleshadrequirednothingbutpassivefortitude；hissubsequentprosperityhadneverforceduponhimanyactivecares——hadneverbroughthimintodisagreeablecontactwithanyone。Hefeltthathewouldgivealmostanything——muchmorethanheknewheoughttodo——torelievehimselffromthestormwhichhefearedwascoming。Itwassohardthatthepleasantwatersofhislittlestreamshouldbedisturbedandmuddiedbyroughhands；thathisquietpathsshouldbemadeabattlefield；thattheunobtrusivecorneroftheworldwhichhadbeenallottedtohim，asthoughbyProvidence，shouldbeinvadedanddesecrated，andallwithinitmademiserableandunsound。