第13章

twohundredthousandheartswouldswellwithindignationatthegripinginjustice，thebarefacedrobberyofthewardenofBarchesterHospital！Andhowwashetoanswerthis？Howwashetoopenhisinmosthearttothismultitude，tothesethousands，theeducated，thepolished，thepickedmenofhisowncountry；howshowthemthathewasnorobber，noavaricious，lazypriestscramblingforgold，butaretiring，humble-spiritedman，whohadinnocentlytakenwhathadinnocentlybeenofferedtohim？ ’WritetoTheJupiter，’suggestedthebishop。 ’Yes，’saidthearchdeacon，moreworldlywisethanhisfather，’yes，andbesmotheredwithridicule；tossedoverandoveragainwithscorn；shakenthiswayandthat，asaratinthemouthofapractisedterrier。Youwillleaveoutsomewordorletterinyouranswer，andtheignoranceofthecathedralclergywillbeharpedupon；youwillmakesomesmallmistake，whichwillbeafalsehood，orsomeadmission，whichwillbeself-condemnation；youwillfindyourselftohavebeenvulgar，ill-tempered，irreverend，andilliterate，andthechancesaretentoone，butthatbeingaclergyman，youwillhavebeenguiltyofblasphemy！Amanmayhavethebestofcauses，thebestoftalents，andthebestoftempers；hemaywriteaswellasAddison，orasstronglyasJunius；butevenwithallthishecannotsuccessfullyanswer，whenattackedbyTheJupiter。 Insuchmattersitisomnipotent。WhattheCzarisinRussia，orthemobinAmerica，thatTheJupiterisinEngland。Answersuchanarticle！No，warden；whateveryoudo，don’tdothat。 Weweretolookforthissortofthing，youknow；butweneednotdrawdownonourheadsmoreofitthanisnecessary。’ ThearticleinTheJupiter，whileitsogreatlyharassedourpoorwarden，wasanimmensetriumphtosomeoftheoppositeparty。SorryasBoldwastoseeMrHardingattackedsopersonally，itstillgavehimafeelingofelationtofindhiscausetakenupbysopowerfulanadvocate:andastoFinney，theattorney，hewasbesidehimself。What！tobeengagedinthesamecauseandonthesamesidewithTheJupiter；tohavetheviewshehadrecommendedseconded，andfurthered，andbattledforbyTheJupiter！PerhapstohavehisownnamementionedasthatofthelearnedgentlemanwhoseeffortshadbeensosuccessfulonbehalfofthepoorofBarchester！HemightbeexaminedbeforecommitteesoftheHouseofCommons，withheavenknowshowmuchadayforhispersonalexpenses——hemightbeengagedforyearsonsuchasuit！ TherewasnoendtothegloriousgoldendreamswhichthisleaderinTheJupiterproducedinthesoaringmindofFinney。 Andtheoldbedesmen，theyalsoheardofthisarticle，andhadaglimmering，indistinctideaofthemarvellousadvocatewhichhadnowtakenuptheircause。AbelHandylimpedhitherandthitherthroughtherooms，repeatingallthatheunderstoodtohavebeenprinted，withsomeadditionsofhisownwhichhethoughtshouldhavebeenadded。HetoldthemhowTheJupiterhaddeclaredthattheirwardenwasnobetterthanarobber，andthatwhatTheJupitersaidwasacknowledgedbytheworldtobetrue。HowTheJupiterhadaffirmedthateachoneofthem——’eachoneofus，JonathanCrumple，thinkofthat！’——hadaclearrighttoahundredayear；andthatifTheJupiterhadsaidso，itwasbetterthanadecisionoftheLordChancellor:andthenhecarriedaboutthepaper，suppliedbyMrFinney，which，thoughnoneofthemcouldreadit，stillaffordedinitsverytouchandaspectpositivecorroborationofwhatwastoldthem；andJonathanCrumplepondereddeeplyoverhisreturningwealth；andjobSkulpitsawhowrighthehadbeeninsigningthepetition，andsaidsomanyscoresoftimes；andSpriggsleeredfearfullywithhisoneeye；andMoody，ashemorenearlyapproachedthecominggoldenage，hatedmoredeeplythaneverthosewhostillkeptpossessionofwhathesocoveted。EvenBillyGazyandpoorbed-riddenBellbecameactiveanduneasy，andthegreatBuncestoodapartwithloweringbrow，withdeepgriefseatedinhisheart，forheperceivedthatevildayswerecoming。 Ithadbeendecided，thearchdeaconadvising，thatnoremonstrance，explanation，ordefenceshouldbeaddressedfromtheBarchesterconclavetotheeditorofTheJupiter；buthithertothatwastheonlydecisiontowhichtheyhadcome。 SirAbrahamHaphazardwasdeeplyengagedinpreparingabillforthemortificationofpapists，tobecalledthe’ConventCustodyBill，’thepurportofwhichwastoenableanyProtestantclergymanoverfiftyyearsofagetosearchanynunwhomhesuspectedofbeinginpossessionoftreasonablepapersorJesuiticalsymbols；andasthereweretobeahundredandthirty-sevenclausesinthebill，eachclausecontainingaseparatethornforthesideofthepapist，andasitwasknownthebillwouldbefoughtinchbyinch，byfiftymaddenedIrishmen，thedueconstructionandadequatedovetailingofitdidconsumemuchofSirAbraham’stime。Thebillhadallitsdesiredeffect。Ofcourseitneverpassedintolaw；butitsocompletelydividedtheranksoftheIrishmembers，whohadboundthemselvestogethertoforceontheministryabillforcompellingallmentodrinkIrishwhiskey，andallwomentowearIrishpoplins，thatfortheremainderofthesessiontheGreatPoplinandWhiskeyLeaguewasutterlyharmless。 ThusithappenedthatSirAbraham’sopinionwasnotatonceforthcoming，andtheuncertainty，theexpectation，andsufferingofthefolkofBarchesterwasmaintainedatahighpitch。 PlumsteadEpiscopiThereadermustnowberequestedtovisittherectoryofPlumsteadEpiscopi；andasitisasyetstillearlymorning，toascendagainwithusintothebedroomofthearchdeacon。 Themistressofthemansionwasathertoilet；onwhichwewillnotdwellwithprofaneeyes，butproceedintoasmallinnerroom，wherethedoctordressedandkepthisbootsandsermons；andherewewilltakeourstand，premisingthatthedooroftheroomwassoopenastoadmitofaconversationbetweenourreverendAdamandhisvaluedEve。 ’It’sallyourownfault，archdeacon，’saidthelatter。’I toldyoufromthebeginninghowitwouldend，andpapahasnoonetothankbutyou。’ ’Goodgracious，mydear，’saidthedoctor，appearingatthedoorofhisdressing-room，withhisfaceandheadenvelopedintheroughtowelwhichhewasviolentlyusing；’howcanyousayso？Iamdoingmyverybest。’ ’Iwishyouhadneverdonesomuch，’saidthelady，interruptinghim。’Ifyou’djusthaveletJohnBoldcomeandgothere，asheandpapaliked，heandEleanorwouldhavebeenmarriedbythistime，andweshouldnothaveheardonewordaboutallthisaffair。’ ’But，mydear——’ ’Oh，it’sallverywell，archdeacon；andofcourseyou’reright；Idon’tforamomentthinkyou’lleveradmitthatyoucouldbewrong；butthefactis。you’vebroughtthisyoungmandownuponpapabybuffinghimasyouhavedone。’ ’But，mylove——’ ’Andallbecauseyoudidn’tlikeJohnBoldforabrother- in-law。Howissheevertodobetter？Papahasn’tgotashilling；andthoughEleanoriswellenough，shehasnotatallatakingstyleofbeauty。I’msureIdon’tknowhowshe’stodobetterthanmarryJohnBold；oraswellindeed，’addedtheanxioussister，givingthelasttwisttoherlastshoe-string。 DrGrantlyfeltkeenlytheinjusticeofthisattack；butwhatcouldhesay？HecertainlyhadbuffedJohnBold；hecertainlyhadobjectedtohimasabrother-in-law，andaveryfewmonthsagotheveryideahadexcitedhiswrath:butnowmatterswerechanged；JohnBoldhadshownhispower，and，thoughhewasasodiousasevertothearchdeacon，powerisalwaysrespected，andthereverenddignitarybegantothinkthatsuchanalliancemightnothavebeenimprudent。Nevertheless，hismottowasstill’nosurrender’；hewouldstillfightitout；hebelievedconfidentlyinOxford，inthebenchofbishops，inSirAbrahamHaphazard，andinhimself；anditwasonlywhenalonewithhiswifethatdoubtsofdefeateverbesethim。HeoncemoretriedtocommunicatethisconfidencetoMrsGrantly，andforthetwentiethtimebegantotellherofSirAbraham。 ’Oh，SirAbraham！’saidshe，collectingallherhousekeysintoherbasketbeforeshedescended；’SirAbrahamwon’tgetEleanorahusband；SirAbrahamwon’tgetpapaanotherincomewhenhehasbeenworretedoutofthehospital。MarkwhatItellyou，archdeacon:whileyouandSirAbrahamarefighting，papawilllosehispreferment；andwhatwillyoudothenwithhimandEleanoronyourhands？besides，who’stopaySirAbraham？Isupposehewon’ttakethecaseupfornothing？’Andsotheladydescendedtofamilyworshipamongherchildrenandservants，thepatternofagoodandprudentwife。 DrGrantlywasblessedwithahappy，thrivingfamily。 Therewere，first，threeboys，nowathomefromschoolfortheholidays。Theywerecalled，respectively，CharlesJames，Henry，andSamuel。Thetwoyounger(therewerefiveinall) weregirls；theelder，Florinda，borethenameoftheArchbishopofYork’swife，whosegodchildshewas:andtheyoungerhadbeenchristenedGrizzel，afterasisteroftheArchbishopofCanterbury。Theboyswereallclever，andgavegoodpromiseofbeingwellabletomeetthecaresandtrialsoftheworld；andyettheywerenotalikeintheirdispositions，andeachhadhisindividualcharacter，andeachhisseparateadmirersamongthedoctor’sfriends。 CharlesJameswasanexactandcarefulboy；henevercommittedhimself；hewellknewhowmuchwasexpectedfromtheeldestsonoftheArchdeaconofBarchester，andwasthereforemindfulnottomixtoofreelywithotherboys。Hehadnotthegreattalentsofhisyoungerbrothers，butheexceededtheminjudgmentandproprietyofdemeanour；hisfault，ifhehadone，wasanover-attentiontowordsinsteadofthings； therewasathoughttoomuchfinesseabouthim，and，asevenhisfathersometimestoldhim，hewastoofondofacompromise。 Thesecondwasthearchdeacon’sfavouriteson，andHenrywasindeedabrilliantboy。Theversatilityofhisgeniuswassurprising，andthevisitorsatPlumsteadEpiscopiwereoftenamazedatthemarvellousmannerinwhichhewould，whencalledon，adapthiscapacitytoapparentlymostuncongenialpursuits。HeappearedoncebeforealargecircleasLutherthereformer，anddelightedthemwiththeperfectmannerinwhichheassumedthecharacter；andwithinthreedaysheagainastonishedthembyactingthepartofaCapuchinfriartotheverylife。Forthislastexploithisfathergavehimagoldenguinea，andhisbrotherssaidtherewardhadbeenpromisedbeforehandintheeventoftheperformancebeingsuccessful。HewasalsosentonatourintoDevonshire；atreatwhichtheladwasmostanxiousofenjoying。Hisfather’sfriendsthere，however，didnotappreciatehistalents，andsadaccountsweresenthomeoftheperversityofhisnature。Hewasamostcourageouslad，gametothebackbone。