第15章

’Notquitesoclear，’saidtheother。’Youseethewillsays，“Mylord，thebishop，beinggraciouslypleasedtoseethatduejusticebedone。“Now，itmaybeaquestionwhether，inacceptingandadministeringthepatronage，yourfatherhasnotacceptedalsotheotherdutiesassigned。Itisdoubtful，however；buteveniftheyhitthatnail——andtheyarefarofffromthatyet——thepointissonice，asSirAbrahamsays，thatyouwouldforcethemintofifteenthousandpounds’costbeforetheycouldbringittoanissue！andwhere’sthatsumofmoneytocomefrom？’ Thearchdeaconrubbedhishandswithdelight；hehadneverdoubtedthejusticeofhiscase，buthehadbeguntohavesomedreadofunjustsuccessonthepartofhisenemies。Itwasdelightfultohimthustohearthattheircausewassurroundedwithsuchrocksandshoals；suchcausesofshipwreckunseenbythelandsman’seye，butvisibleenoughtothekeeneyesofpracticallawmariners。HowwronghiswifewastowishthatBoldshouldmarryEleanor！Bold！why，ifheshouldbeassenoughtopersevere，hewouldbeabeggarbeforeheknewwhomhewasatlawwith！ ’That’sexcellent，Chadwick——that’sexcellent！ItoldyouSirAbrahamwasthemanforus’；andheputdownonthetablethecopyoftheopinion，andpatteditfondly。 ’Don’tyouletthatbeseen，though，archdeacon。’ ’Who？-I！-notforworlds，’saidthedoctor。 ’Peoplewilltalk，youknow，archdeacon。’ ’Ofcourse，ofcourse，’saidthedoctor。 ’Because，ifthatgetsabroad，itwouldteachthemhowtofighttheirownbattle。’ ’Quitetrue，’saidthedoctor。 ’NoonehereinBarchesteroughttoseethatbutyouandI，archdeacon。’ ’No，no，certainlynooneelse，’saidthearchdeacon，pleasedwiththeclosenessoftheconfidence；’nooneelseshall。’ ’MrsGrantlyisveryinterestedinthematter，Iknow，’saidMrChadwick。 Didthearchdeaconwink，ordidhenot？Iaminclinedtothinkhedidnotquitewink；butthatwithoutsuch，perhaps，unseemlygesturehecommunicatedtoMrChadwick，withthecornerofhiseye，intimationthat，deepaswasMrsGrantly’sinterestinthematter，itshouldnotprocureforheraperusalofthatdocument；andatthesametimehepartlyopenedthesmalldrawer，abovespokenof，depositedthepaperonthevolumeofRabelais，andshowedtoMrChadwickthenatureofthekeywhichguardedthesehiddentreasures。Thecarefulstewardthenexpressedhimselfcontented。Ah！vainman！ hecouldfastenuphisRabelais，andotherthingssecret，withalltheskillofBramahorofChubb；butwherecouldhefastenupthekeywhichsolvedthesemechanicalmysteries？Itisprobabletousthatthecontentsofnodrawerinthathousewereunknowntoitsmistress，andwethink，moreover，thatshewasentitledtoallsuchknowledge。 ’But，’saidMrChadwick，’wemust，ofcourse，tellyourfatherandMrHardingsomuchofSirAbraham’sopinionaswillsatisfythemthatthematterisdoingwell。’ ’Oh，certainly——yes，ofcourse，’saidthedoctor。 ’YouhadbetterletthemknowthatSirAbrahamisofopinionthatthereisnocaseatanyrateagainstMrHarding； andthatastheactioniswordedatpresent，itmustfalltotheground；theymustbenonsuited，iftheycarryiton；youhadbettertellMrHarding，thatSirAbrahamisclearlyofopinionthatheisonlyaservant，andassuchnotliable——orifyoulikeit，I’llseeMrHardingmyself。’ ’Oh，Imustseehimtomorrow，andmyfathertoo，andI’llexplaintothemexactlysomuch——youwon’tgobeforelunch，MrChadwick:well，ifyouwill，youmust，forIknowyourtimeisprecious’；andheshookhandswiththediocesansteward，andbowedhimout。 Thearchdeaconhadagainrecoursetohisdrawer，andtwicereadthroughtheessenceofSirAbrahamHaphazard’slaw- enlightenedandlaw-bewilderedbrains。ItwasveryclearthattoSirAbraham，thejusticeoftheoldmen’sclaimorthejusticeofMrHarding’sdefencewereideasthathadneverpresentedthemselves。AlegalvictoryoveranopposingpartywastheserviceforwhichSirAbrahamwas，asheimagined，tobepaid；andthathe，accordingtohislights，haddiligentlylabouredtoachieve，andwithprobablehopeofsuccess。OftheintensedesirewhichMrHardingfelttobeassuredonfitauthoritythathewaswrongingnoman，thathewasentitledintrueequitytohisincome，thathemightsleepatnightwithoutpangsofconscience，thathewasnorobber，nospoilerofthepoor；thatheandalltheworldmightbeopenlyconvincedthathewasnotthemanwhichTheJupiterhaddescribedhimtobe；ofsuchlongingsonthepartofMrHarding，SirAbrahamwasentirelyignorant；nor，indeed，coulditbelookedonaspartofhisbusinesstogratifysuchdesires。Suchwasnotthesystemonwhichhisbattleswerefought，andvictoriesgained。Successwashisobject，andhewasgenerallysuccessful。Heconqueredhisenemiesbytheirweaknessratherthanbyhisownstrength，andithadbeenfoundalmostimpossibletomakeupacaseinwhichSirAbraham，asanantagonist，wouldnotfindaflaw。 Thearchdeaconwasdelightedwiththeclosenessofthereasoning。Todohimjustice，itwasnotaselfishtriumphthathedesired；hewouldpersonallylosenothingbydefeat，oratleastwhathemightlosedidnotactuatehim；butneitherwasitloveofjusticewhichmadehimsoanxious，norevenmainlysolicitudeforhisfather-in-law。Hewasfightingapartofanever-endingbattleagainstanever-conqueredfoe——thatofthechurchagainstitsenemies。 HeknewMrHardingcouldnotpayalltheexpenseofthesedoings:fortheselongopinionsofSirAbraham’s，thesecausestobepleaded，thesespeechestobemade，thesevariouscourtsthroughwhichthecasewas，hepresumed，tobedragged。Heknewthatheandhisfathermustatleastbeartheheavierportionofthistremendouscost；buttodothearchdeaconjustice，hedidnotrecoilfromthis。Hewasamanfondofobtainingmoney，greedyofalargeincome，butopen-handedenoughinexpendingit，anditwasatriumphtohimtoforeseethesuccessofthismeasure，althoughhemightbecalledontopaysodearlyforithimself。 TheConferenceOnthefollowingmorningthearchdeaconwaswithhisfatherbetimes，andanotewassentdowntothewardenbegginghisattendanceatthepalace。DrGrantly，ashecogitatedonthematter，leaningbackinhisbroughamashejourneyedintoBarchester，feltthatitwouldbedifficulttocommunicatehisownsatisfactioneithertohisfatherorhisfather-in-law。 Hewantedsuccessonhisownsideanddiscomfitureonthatofhisenemies。Thebishopwantedpeaceonthesubject；asettledpeaceifpossible，butpeaceatanyratetilltheshortremainderofhisowndayshadspunitselfout。MrHardingrequirednotonlysuccessandpeace，buthealsodemandedthathemightstandjustifiedbeforetheworld。 Thebishop，however，wascomparativelyeasytodealwith； andbeforethearrivaloftheother，thedutifulsonhadpersuadedhisfatherthatallwasgoingonwell，andthenthewardenarrived。 ItwasMrHarding’swont，wheneverhespentamorningatthepalace，toseathimselfimmediatelyatthebishop’selbow，thebishopoccupyingahugearm-chairfittedupwithcandle- sticks，areadingtable，adrawer，andotherparaphernalia，thepositionofwhichchairwasnevermoved，summerorwinter； andwhen，aswasusual，thearchdeaconwastherealso，heconfrontedthetwoelders，whothuswereenabledtofightthebattleagainsthimtogether；andtogethersubmittodefeat，forsuchwastheirconstantfate。 Ourwardennowtookhisaccustomedplace，havinggreetedhisson-in-lawasheentered，andthenaffectionatelyinquiredafterhisfriend’shealth。TherewasagentlenessaboutthebishoptowhichthesoftwomanlyaffectionofMrHardingparticularlyendeareditself，anditwasquainttoseehowthetwomildoldpriestspressedeachother’shand，andsmiledandmadelittlesignsoflove。 ’SirAbraham’sopinionhascomeatlast，’beganthearchdeacon。 MrHardinghadheardsomuch，andwasmostanxioustoknowtheresult。 ’Itisquitefavourable，’saidthebishop，pressinghisfriend’sarm。’Iamsoglad。’ MrHardinglookedatthemightybeareroftheimportantnewsforconfirmationofthesegladtidings。 ’Yes，’saidthearchdeacon；’SirAbrahamhasgivenmostminuteattentiontothecase；indeed，Iknewhewould——mostminuteattention；andhisopinionis——andastohisopiniononsuchasubjectbeingcorrect，noonewhoknowsSirAbraham’scharactercandoubt——hisopinionis，thattheyhav’n’tgotalegtostandon。’ ’Butashow，archdeacon？’ ’Why，inthefirstplace:——butyou’renolawyer，warden，andIdoubtyouwon’tunderstandit；thegistofthematteristhis:——underHiram’swilltwopaidguardianshavebeenselectedforthehospital；thelawwillsaytwopaidservants，andyouandIwon’tquarrelwiththename。’ ’AtanyrateIwillnotifIamoneoftheservants，’saidMrHarding。’Arose，youknow——’ ’Yes，yes，’saidthearchdeacon，impatientofpoetryatsuchatime。’Well，twopaidservants，we’llsay；onetolookafterthemen，andtheothertolookafterthemoney。YouandChadwickarethesetwoservants，andwhethereitherofyoubepaidtoomuch，ortoolittle，moreorlessinfactthanthefounderwilled，it’sasclearasdaylightthatnoonecanfallfoulofeitherofyouforreceivinganallottedstipend。’ ’Thatdoesseemclear，’saidthebishop，whohadwincedvisiblyatthewordsservantsandstipend，which，however，appearedtohavecausednouneasinesstothearchdeacon。 ’Quiteclear，’saidhe，’andverysatisfactory。Inpointoffact，itbeingnecessarytoselectsuchservantsfortheuseofthehospital，thepaytobegiventothemmustdependontherateofpayforsuchservices，accordingtotheirmarketvalueattheperiodinquestion；andthosewhomanagethehospitalmustbetheonlyjudgesofthis。’