第16章

’Andwhodoesmanagethehospital？’askedthewarden。 ’Oh，letthemfindthatout；that’sanotherquestion:theactionisbroughtagainstyouandChadwick；that’syourdefence，andaperfectandfulldefenceitis。NowthatIthinkverysatisfactory。’ ’Well，’saidthebishop，lookinginquiringlyupintohisfriend’sface，whosatsilentawhile，andapparentlynotsowellsatisfied。 ’Andconclusive，’continuedthearchdeacon；’iftheypressittoajury，whichtheywon’tdo，notwelvemeninEnglandwilltakefiveminutestodecideagainstthem。’ ’Butaccordingtothat’saidMrHarding，’Imightaswellhavesixteenhundredayearaseight，ifthemanagerschoosetoallotittome；andasIamoneofthemanagers，ifnotthechiefmanager，myself，thatcanhardlybeajustarrangement。’ ’Oh，well；allthat’snothingtothequestion。Thequestionis，whetherthisintrudingfellow，andalotofcheatingattorneysandpestilentdissenters，aretointerferewithanarrangementwhicheveryoneknowsisessentiallyjustandserviceabletothechurch。Praydon’tletusbesplittinghairs，andthatamongstourselves，orthere’llneverbeanendofthecauseorthecost。’ MrHardingagainsatsilentforawhile，duringwhichthebishoponceandagainpressedhisarm，andlookedinhisfacetoseeifhecouldcatchagleamofacontentedandeasedmind； buttherewasnosuchgleam，andthepoorwardencontinuedplayingsaddirgesoninvisiblestringedinstrumentsinallmannerofpositions；hewasruminatinginhismindonthisopinionofSirAbraham，lookingtoitwearilyandearnestlyforsatisfaction，butfindingnone。Atlasthesaid，’Didyouseetheopinion，archdeacon？’ Thearchdeaconsaidhehadnot——thatwastosay，he-had- thatwas，hehadnotseentheopinionitself；hehadseenwhathadbeencalledacopy，buthecouldnotsaywhetherofawholeorpart；norcouldhesaythatwhathehadseenweretheipsissimaverbaofthegreatmanhimself；butwhathehadseencontainedexactlythedecisionwhichhehadannounced，andwhichheagaindeclaredtobetohismindextremelysatisfactory。 ’Ishouldliketoseetheopinion，’saidthewarden；’thatis，acopyofit。’ ’Well，Isupposeyoucanifyoumakeapointofit；butI don’tseetheusemyself；ofcourseitisessentialthatthepurportofitshouldnotbeknown，anditisthereforeunadvisabletomultiplycopies。’ ’Whyshoulditnotbeknown？’askedthewarden。 ’Whataquestionforamantoask！’saidthearchdeacon，throwinguphishandsintokenofhissurprise；’butitislikeyou——achildisnotmoreinnocentthanyouareinmattersofbusiness。Can’tyouseethatifwetellthemthatnoactionwilllieagainstyou，butthatonemaypossiblylieagainstsomeotherpersonorpersons，thatweshallbeputtingweaponsintotheirhands，andbeteachingthemhowtocutourownthroats？’ Thewardenagainsatsilent，andthebishopagainlookedathimwistfully:’Theonlythingwehavenowtodo，’continuedthearchdeacon，’istoremainquiet，holdourpeace，andletthemplaytheirowngameastheyplease。’ ’Wearenottomakeknownthen，’saidthewarden，’thatwehaveconsultedtheattorney-general，andthatweareadvisedbyhimthatthefounder’swillisfullyandfairlycarriedout。’ ’Godblessmysoul！’saidthearchdeacon，’howodditisthatyouwillnotseethatallwearetodoistodonothing: whyshouldwesayanythingaboutthefounder’swill？Weareinpossession；andweknowthattheyarenotinapositiontoputusout；surelythatisenoughforthepresent。’ MrHardingrosefromhisseatandpacedthoughtfullyupanddownthelibrary，thebishopthewhilewatchinghimpainfullyateveryturn，andthearchdeaconcontinuingtopourforthhisconvictionsthattheaffairwasinastatetosatisfyanyprudentmind。 ’AndTheJupiter？’saidthewarden，stoppingsuddenly。 ’Oh！TheJupiter，’answeredtheother。’TheJupitercanbreaknobones。Youmustbearwiththat；thereismuch，ofcourse，whichitisourboundendutytobear；itcannotbeallrosesforushere，’andthearchdeaconlookedexceedinglymoral；’besides，thematteristootrivial，oftoolittlegeneralinteresttobementionedagaininTheJupiter，unlesswestirupthesubject。’Andthearchdeaconagainlookedexceedinglyknowingandworldlywise。 Thewardencontinuedhiswalk；thehardandstingingwordsofthatnewspaperarticle，eachoneofwhichhadthrustathornasitwereintohisinmostsoul，werefreshinhismemory；hehadreaditmorethanonce，wordbyword，andwhatwasworse，hefancieditwasaswellknowntoeveryoneastohimself。Washetobelookedonastheunjustgripingpriesthehadbeentheredescribed？Washetobepointedatastheconsumerofthebreadofthepoor，andtobeallowednomeansofrefutingsuchcharges，ofclearinghisbegrimedname，ofstandinginnocentintheworld，ashithertohehadstood？ Washetobearallthis，toreceiveasusualhisnowhatedincome，andbeknownasoneofthosegreedypriestswhobytheirrapacityhavebroughtdisgraceontheirchurch？Andwhy？Whyshouldhebearallthis？Whyshouldhedie，forhefeltthathecouldnotlive，undersuchaweightofobloquy？ Ashepacedupanddowntheroomheresolvedinhismiseryandenthusiasmthathecouldwithpleasure，ifhewereallowed，giveuphisplace，abandonhispleasanthome，leavethehospital，andlivepoorly，happily，andwithanunsulliedname，onthesmallremainderofhismeans。 Hewasamansomewhatshyofspeakingofhimself，evenbeforethosewhoknewhimbest，andwhomhelovedthemost； butatlastitburstforthfromhim，andwithasomewhatjerkingeloquencehedeclaredthathecouldnot，wouldnot，bearthismiseryanylonger。 ’Ifitcanbeproved，’saidheatlast，’thatIhaveajustandhonestrighttothis，asGodwellknowsIalwaysdeemedIhad； ifthissalaryorstipendbereallymydue，Iamnotlessanxiousthananothertoretainit。Ihavethewell-beingofmychildtolookto。IamtoooldtomisswithoutsomepainthecomfortstowhichIhavebeenused；andIam，asothersare，anxioustoprovetotheworldthatIhavebeenright，andtoupholdtheplaceIhaveheld；butIcannotdoitatsuchacostasthis。Icannotbearthis。Couldyoutellmetodoso？’Andheappealed，almostintears，tothebishop，whohadlefthischair，andwasnowleaningonthewarden’sarmashestoodonthefurthersideofthetablefacingthearchdeacon。’Couldyoutellmetositthereatease，indifferent，andsatisfied，whilesuchthingsasthesearesaidloudlyofmeintheworld？’ Thebishopcouldfeelforhimandsympathisewithhim，buthecouldnotadvisehim，hecouldonlysay，’No，no，youshallbeaskedtodonothingthatispainful；youshalldojustwhatyourhearttellsyoutoberight；youshalldowhateveryouthinkbestyourself。Theophilus，don’tadvisehim，praydon’tadvisethewardentodoanythingwhichispainful。’ Butthearchdeacon，thoughhecouldnotsympathise，couldadvise；andhesawthatthetimehadcomewhenitbehovedhimtodosoinasomewhatperemptorymanner。 ’Why，mylord，’hesaid，speakingtohisfather:andwhenhecalledhisfather’mylord，’thegoodoldbishopshookinhisshoes，forheknewthataneviltimewascoming。’Why，mylord，therearetwowaysofgivingadvice:thereisadvicethatmaybegoodforthepresentday；andthereisadvicethatmaybegoodfordaystocome:nowIcannotbringmyselftogivetheformer，ifitbeincompatiblewiththeother。’ ’No，no，no，Isupposenot，’saidthebishop，re-seatinghimself，andshadinghisfacewithhishands。MrHardingsatdownwithhisbacktothefurtherwall，playingtohimselfsomeairfittedforsocalamitousanoccasion，andthearchdeaconsaidouthissaystanding，withhisbacktotheemptyfire-place。 ’Itisnottobesupposedbutthatmuchpainwillspringoutofthisunnecessarilyraisedquestion。Wemustallhaveforeseenthat，andthematterhasinnowisegoneonworsethanweexpected；butitwillbeweak，yes，andwickedalso，toabandonthecauseandownourselveswrong，becausetheinquiryispainful。Itisnotonlyourselveswehavetolookto；toacertainextenttheinterestofthechurchisinourkeeping。Shoulditbefoundthatoneafteranotherofthosewhoholdprefermentabandoneditwheneveritmightbeattacked，isitnotplainthatsuchattackswouldberenewedtillnothingwasleftus？ and，thatifsodeserted，theChurchofEnglandmustfalltothegroundaltogether？Ifthisbetrueofmany，itistrueofone。 Wereyou，accusedasyounoware，tothrowupthewardenship，andtorelinquishtheprefermentwhichisyourproperty，withthevainobjectofprovingyourselfdisinterested，youwouldfailinthatobject，youwouldinflictadesperateblowonyourbrotherclergymen，youwouldencourageeverycantankerousdissenterinEnglandtomakeasimilarchargeagainstsomesourceofclericalrevenue，andyouwoulddoyourbesttodisheartenthosewhoaremostanxioustodefendyouandupholdyourposition。Icanfancynothingmoreweak，ormorewrong。Itisnotthatyouthinkthatthereisanyjusticeinthesecharges，orthatyoudoubtyourownrighttothewardenship:youareconvincedofyourownhonesty，andyetwouldyieldtothemthroughcowardice。’ ’Cowardice！’saidthebishop，expostulating。MrHardingsatunmoved，gazingonhisson-in-law。 ’Well；woulditnotbecowardice？Wouldhenotdosobecauseheisafraidtoenduretheevilthingswhichwillbefalselyspokenofhim？Wouldthatnotbecowardice？Andnowletusseetheextentoftheevilwhichyoudread。TheJupiterpublishesanarticlewhichagreatmany，nodoubt，willread；butofthosewhounderstandthesubjecthowmanywillbelieveTheJupiter？Everyoneknowswhatitsobjectis:ithastakenupthecaseagainstLordGuildfordandagainsttheDeanofRochester，andthatagainsthalfadozenbishops；anddoesnoteveryoneknowthatitwouldtakeupanycaseofthekind，rightorwrong，falseortrue，withknownjusticeorknowninjustice，ifbydoingsoitcouldfurtheritsownviews？DoesnotalltheworldknowthisofTheJupiter？WhothatreallyknowsyouwillthinktheworseofyouforwhatTheJupitersays？ Andwhycareforthosewhodonotknowyou？Iwillsaynothingofyourowncomfort，butIdosaythatyoucouldnotbejustifiedinthrowingup，inafitofpassion，forsuchitwouldbe，theonlymaintenancethatEleanorhas；andifyoudidso，ifyoureallydidvacatethewardenship，andsubmittoruin，whatwouldthatprofityou？Ifyouhavenofuturerighttotheincome，youhavehadnopastrighttoit；andtheveryfactofyourabandoningyourpositionwouldcreateademandforrepaymentofthatwhichyouhavealreadyreceivedandspent。’