第11章

’Nonsense，Mary；MissHarding’sheartisassafeasyours。’ ’Pray，pray，formysake，John，giveitup。Youknowhowdearlyyouloveher。’Andshecameandkneltbeforehimontherug。’Praygiveitup。Youaregoingtomakeyourself，andher，andherfathermiserable:youaregoingtomakeusallmiserable。Andforwhat？Foradreamofjustice。Youwillnevermakethosetwelvemenhappierthantheynoware。’ ’Youdon’tunderstandit，mydeargirl，’saidhe，smoothingherhairwithhishand。 ’Idounderstandit，John。Iunderstandthatthisisachimera——adreamthatyouhavegot。Iknowwellthatnodutycanrequireyoutodothismad——thissuicidalthing。I knowyouloveEleanorHardingwithallyourheart，andItellyounowthatshelovesyouaswell。Iftherewasaplain，apositivedutybeforeyou，Iwouldbethelasttobidyouneglectitforanywoman’slove；butthis——oh，thinkagain，beforeyoudoanythingtomakeitnecessarythatyouandMrHardingshouldbeatvariance。’Hedidnotanswer，asshekneltthere，leaningonhisknees，butbyhisfaceshethoughtthathewasinclinedtoyield。’Atanyrateletmesaythatyouwillgotothisparty。Atanyratedonotbreakwiththemwhileyourmindisindoubt。’Andshegotup，hopingtoconcludehernoteinthewayshedesired。 ’Mymindisnotindoubt，’atlasthesaid，rising。’IcouldneverrespectmyselfagainwereItogivewaynow，becauseEleanorHardingisbeautiful。Idoloveher:Iwouldgiveahandtohearhertellmewhatyouhavesaid，speakingonherbehalf；butIcannotforhersakegobackfromthetaskwhichIhavecommenced。Ihopeshemayhereafteracknowledgeandrespectmymotives，butIcannotnowgoasaguesttoherfather’shouse。’AndtheBarchesterBrutuswentouttofortifyhisownresolutionbymeditationsonhisownvirtue。 PoorMaryBoldsatdown，andsadlyfinishedhernote，sayingthatshewouldherselfattendtheparty，butthatherbrotherwasunavoidablypreventedfromdoingso。Ifearthatshedidnotadmireassheshouldhavedonetheself-devotionofhissingularvirtue。 Thepartywentoffassuchpartiesdo。Therewerefatoldladies，infinesilkdresses，andslimyoungladies，ingauzymuslinfrocks；oldgentlemenstoodupwiththeirbackstotheemptyfire-place，lookingbynomeanssocomfortableastheywouldhavedoneintheirownarm-chairsathome；andyounggentlemen，ratherstiffabouttheneck，clusterednearthedoor，notasyetsufficientlyincouragetoattackthemuslinfrocks，whoawaitedthebattle，drawnupinasemicirculararray。 Thewardenendeavouredtoinduceacharge，butfailedsignally，nothavingthetactofageneral；hisdaughterdidwhatshecouldtocomforttheforcesunderhercommand，whotookinrefreshingrationsofcakeandtea，andpatientlylookedforthecomingengagement:butsheherself，Eleanor，hadnospiritforthework；theonlyenemywhoselanceshecaredtoencounterwasnotthere，andsheandothersweresomewhatdull。 Loudaboveallvoiceswasheardtheclearsonoroustonesofthearchdeaconashedilatedtobrotherparsonsofthedangerofthechurch，ofthefearfulrumoursofmadreformsevenatOxford，andofthedamnableheresiesofDrWhiston。 Soon，however，sweetersoundsbegantimidlytomakethemselvesaudible。Littlemovementsweremadeinaquarternotableforroundstoolsandmusicstands。Waxcandleswerearrangedinsconces，bigbookswerebroughtfromhiddenrecesses，andtheworkoftheeveningcommenced。 Howoftenwerethosepegstwistedandre-twistedbeforeourfriendfoundthathehadtwistedthemenough；howmanydiscordantscrapesgavepromiseofthecomingharmony。 HowmuchthemuslinflutteredandcrumpledbeforeEleanorandanothernymphweredulyseatedatthepiano；howcloselydidthattallApollopackhimselfagainstthewall，withhisflute，longashimself，extendinghighovertheheadsofhisprettyneighbours；intohowsmallacornercreptthatroundandfloridlittleminorcanon，andtherewithskillamazingfoundroomtotunehisaccustomedfiddle！ Andnowthecrashbegins:awaytheygoinfullflowofharmonytogether——uphillanddowndale——nowlouderandlouder，thenlowerandlower；nowloud，asthoughstirringthebattle；thenlow，asthoughmourningtheslain。Inall，throughall，andaboveall，isheardthevioloncello。Ah，notfornothingwerethosepegssotwistedandre-twisted——listen，listen！Nowalonethatsaddestofinstrumentstellsitstouchingtale。Silent，andinawe，standfiddle，flute，andpiano，tohearthesorrowsoftheirwailingbrother。’Tisbutforamoment: beforethemelancholyofthoselownoteshasbeenfullyrealised，againcomesthefullforceofalltheband——downgothepedals，awayrushtwentyfingersscouringoverthebassnoteswithalltheimpetusofpassion。Apolloblowstillhisstiffneckclothisnobetterthanarope，andtheminorcanonworkswithbotharmstillhefallsinasyncopeofexhaustionagainstthewall。 Howcomesitthatnow，whenallshouldbesilent，whencourtesy，ifnottaste，shouldmakemenlisten——howisitatthismomenttheblack-coatedcorpsleavetheirretreatandbeginskirmishing？Onebyonetheycreepforth，andfireofflittlegunstimidly，andwithoutprecision。Ah，mymen，effortssuchasthesewilltakenocities，eventhoughtheenemyshouldbeneversoopentoassault。Atlengthamoredeadlyartilleryisbroughttobear；slowly，butwitheffect，theadvanceismade； themuslinranksarebroken，andfallintoconfusion；theformidablearrayofchairsgivesway；thebattleisnolongerbetweenopposingregiments，buthandtohand，andfoottofootwithsinglecombatants，asinthegloriousdaysofold，whenfightingwasreallynoble。Incorners，andundertheshadowofcurtains，behindsofasandhalfhiddenbydoors，inretiringwindows，andshelteredbyhangingtapestry，areblowsgivenandreturned，fatal，incurable，dealingdeath。 Apartfromthisanothercombatarises，moresoberandmoreserious。Thearchdeaconisengagedagainsttwoprebendaries，apursyfull-blownrectorassistinghim，inalltheperilsandalltheenjoymentsofshortwhist。Withsolemnenergydotheywatchtheshuffledpack，and，all-expectant，eyethecomingtrump。Withwhatanxiousnicetydotheyarrangetheircards，jealousofeachother’seyes！Whyisthatleandoctorsoslow—— cadaverousmanwithhollowjawandsunkeneye，illbeseemingtherichnessofhismotherchurch！Ah，whysoslow，thoumeagredoctor？Seehowthearchdeacon，speechlessinhisagony，depositsontheboardhiscards，andlookstoheavenortotheceilingforsupport。Hark，howhesighs，aswiththumbsinhiswaistcoatpocketheseemstosignifythattheendofsuchtormentisnotyetevennighathand！Vainisthehope，ifhopetherebe，todisturbthatmeagredoctor。Withcarepreciseheplaceseverycard，weighswellthevalueofeachmightyace，eachguardedking，andcomfort-givingqueen； speculatesonknaveandten，countsallhissuits，andsetshispriceuponthewhole。Atlengthacardisled，andquickthreeothersfallupontheboard。Thelittledoctorleadsagain，whilewithlustrouseyehispartnerabsorbsthetrick。Nowthricehasthisbeendone——thricehasconstantfortunefavouredthebraceofprebendaries，erethearchdeaconrouseshimselftothebattle；butatthefourthassaulthepinstotheearthaprostrateking，layinglowhiscrownandsceptre，bushybeard，andloweringbrow，withapoordeuce。 ’AsDaviddidGoliath，’saysthearchdeacon，pushingoverthefourcardstohispartner。Andthenatrumpisled，thenanothertrump；thenaking——andthenanace——andthenalongten，whichbringsdownfromthemeagredoctorhisonlyremainingtowerofstrength——hischerishedqueenoftrumps。 ’What，nosecondclub？’saysthearchdeacontohispartner。 ’Onlyoneclub，’muttersfromhisinmoststomachthepursyrector，whositstherered-faced，silent，impervious，careful，asafebutnotabrilliantally。 Butthearchdeaconcaresnotformanyclubs，orfornone。 Hedashesouthisremainingcardswithaspeedmostannoyingtohisantagonists，pushesovertothemsomefourcardsastheirallottedportion，shovestheremainderacrossthetabletothered-facedrector；callsout’twobycardsandtwobyhonours，andtheoddtricklasttime，’marksatrebleunderthecandle- stick，andhasdealtroundthesecondpackbeforethemeagredoctorhascalculatedhislosses。 Andsowentoffthewarden’sparty，andmenandwomenarrangingshawlsandshoesdeclaredhowpleasantithadbeen； andMrsGoodenough，thered-facedrector’swife，pressingthewarden’shand，declaredshehadneverenjoyedherselfbetter； whichshowedhowlittlepleasuresheallowedherselfinthisworld，asshehadsatthewholeeveningthroughinthesamechairwithoutoccupation，notspeaking，andunspokento。 AndMatildaJohnson，whensheallowedyoungDicksonofthebanktofastenhercloakroundherneck，thoughtthattwohundredpoundsayearandalittlecottagewouldreallydoforhappiness；besides，hewassuretobemanagersomeday。 AndApollo，foldinghisfluteintohispocket，feltthathehadacquittedhimselfwithhonour；andthearchdeaconpleasantlyjingledhisgains；butthemeagredoctorwentoffwithoutmuchaudiblespeech，mutteringeverandanonashewent，’threeandthirtypoints！’’threeandthirtypoints！’ Andsotheyallweregone，andMrHardingwasleftalonewithhisdaughter。 WhathadpassedbetweenEleanorHardingandMaryBoldneednotbetold。Itisindeedamatterofthankfulnessthatneitherthehistoriannorthenovelisthearsallthatissaidbytheirheroesorheroines，orhowwouldthreevolumesortwentysuffice！InthepresentcasesolittleofthissorthaveIoverheard，thatIliveinhopesoffinishingmyworkwithin300pages，andofcompletingthatpleasanttask——anovelinonevolume；butsomethinghadpassedbetweenthem，andasthewardenblewoutthewaxcandles，andputhisinstrumentintoitscase，hisdaughterstoodsadandthoughtfulbytheemptyfire-place，determinedtospeaktoherfather，butirresoluteastowhatshewouldsay。 ’Well，Eleanor，’saidhe，’areyouforbed？’ ’Yes，’saidshe，moving，’Isupposeso；butpapa——MrBoldwasnotheretonight；doyouknowwhynot？’ ’Hewasasked；Iwrotetohimmyself，’saidthewarden。 ’Butdoyouknowwhyhedidnotcome，papa？’ ’Well，Eleanor，Icouldguess；butit’snouseguessingatsuchthings，mydear。Whatmakesyoulooksoearnestaboutit？’