第21章

Shestillheldhim，andlookedeagerlyintohisface，withherhairdishevelledandhereyesallbloodshot。Shehadnothoughtnowofherself，nocarenowforherappearance；andyethethoughthehadneverseenherhalfsolovely；hewasamazedattheintensityofherbeauty，andcouldhardlybelievethatitwasshewhomhehaddaredtolove。’Promiseme，’ saidshe；’Iwillnotleaveyoutillyouhavepromisedme。’ ’Iwill，’saidheatlength；’Ido——allIcando，Iwilldo。’ ’ThenmayGodAlmightyblessyouforeverandever！’saidEleanor；andfallingonherkneeswithherfaceinMary’slap，sheweptandsobbedlikeachild:herstrengthhadcarriedherthroughherallottedtask，butnowitwaswellnighexhausted。 Inawhileshewaspartlyrecovered，andgotuptogo，andwouldhavegone，hadnotBoldmadeherunderstandthatitwasnecessaryforhimtoexplaintoherhowfaritwasinhispowertoputanendtotheproceedingswhichhadbeentakenagainstMrHarding。Hadhespokenonanyothersubject，shewouldhavevanished，butonthatshewasboundtohearhim；andnowthedangerofherpositioncommenced。Whileshehadanactiveparttoplay，whilesheclungtohimasasuppliant，itwaseasyenoughforhertorejecthisprofferedlove，andcastfromherhiscaressingwords；butnow——nowthathehadyielded，andwastalkingtohercalmlyandkindlyastoherfather’swelfare，itwashardenoughforhertodoso。 ThenMaryBoldassistedher；butnowshewasquiteonherbrother’sside。Marysaidbutlittle，buteverywordshedidsaygavesomedirectanddeadlyblow。ThefirstthingshedidwastomakeroomforherbrotherbetweenherselfandEleanoronthesofa:asthesofawasfulllargeforthree，Eleanorcouldnotresentthis，norcouldsheshowsuspicionbytakinganotherseat；butshefeltittobeamostunkindproceeding。AndthenMarywouldtalkasthoughtheythreewerejoinedinsomeclosepeculiarbondtogether；asthoughtheywereinfuturealwaystowishtogether，contrivetogether，andacttogether； andEleanorcouldnotgainsaythis；shecouldnotmakeanotherspeech，andsay，’MrBoldandIarestrangers，Mary，andarealwaystoremainso！’ Heexplainedtoherthat，thoughundoubtedlytheproceedingagainstthehospitalhadcommencedsolelywithhimself，manyotherswerenowinterestedinthematter，someofwhomweremuchmoreinfluentialthanhimself；thatitwastohimalone，however，thatthelawyerslookedforinstructionastotheirdoings，and，moreimportantstill，forthepaymentoftheirbills；andhepromisedthathewouldatoncegivethemnoticethatitwashisintentiontoabandonthecause。Hethought，hesaid，thatitwasnotprobablethatanyactivestepswouldbetakenafterhehadsecededfromthematter，thoughitwaspossiblethatsomepassingallusionmightstillbemadetothehospitalinthedailyJupiter。Hepromised，however，thathewouldusehisbestinfluencetopreventanyfurtherpersonalallusionbeingmadetoMrHarding。HethensuggestedthathewouldonthatafternoonrideoverhimselftoDrGrantly，andinformhimofhisalteredintentionsonthesubject，andwiththisview，hepostponedhisimmediatereturntoLondon。 Thiswasallverypleasant，andEleanordidenjoyasortoftriumphinthefeelingthatshehadattainedtheobjectforwhichshehadsoughtthisinterview；butstillthepartofIphigeniawastobeplayedout。Thegodshadheardherprayer，grantedherrequest，andweretheynottohavetheirpromisedsacrifice？Eleanorwasnotagirltodefraudthemwilfully；so，assoonasshedecentlycould，shegotupforherbonnet。 ’Areyougoingsosoon？’saidBold，whohalfanhoursincewouldhavegivenahundredpoundsthathewasinLondon，andshestillatBarchester。 ’Ohyes！’saidshe。’Iamsomuchobligedtoyou；papawillfeelthistobesokind。’Shedidnotquiteappreciateallherfather’sfeelings。’OfcourseImusttellhim，andIwillsaythatyouwillseethearchdeacon。’ ’ButmayInotsayonewordformyself？’saidBold。 ’I’llfetchyouyourbonnet，Eleanor，’saidMary，intheactofleavingtheroom。 ’Mary，Mary，’saidshe，gettingupandcatchingherbyherdress；’don’tgo，I’llgetmybonnetmyself。’ButMary，thetraitress，stoodfastbythedoor，andpermittednosuchretreat。 PoorIphigenia！ Andwithavolleyofimpassionedlove，JohnBoldpouredforththefeelingsofhisheart，swearing，asmendo，sometruthsandmanyfalsehoods；andEleanorrepeatedwitheveryshadeofvehemencethe’No，no，no，’whichhadhadashorttimesincesomucheffect；butnow，alas！itsstrengthwasgone。 Letherbeneversovehement，hervehemencewasnotrespected； allher’No，no，no’s’weremetwithcounter-asseverations，andatlastwereoverpowered。Thegroundwascutfromunderheroneveryside。Shewaspressedtosaywhetherherfatherwouldobject；whethersheherselfhadanyaversion(aversion！Godhelpher，poorgirl！thewordnearlymadeherjumpintohisarms)；anyotherpreference(thissheloudlydisclaimed)；whetheritwasimpossiblethatsheshouldlovehim(Eleanorcouldnotsaythatitwasimpossible):andsoatlastallherdefencesdemolished，allhermaidenbarrierssweptaway，shecapitulated，orrathermarchedoutwiththehonoursofwar，vanquishedevidently，palpablyvanquished，butstillnotreducedtothenecessityofconfessingit。 AndsothealtarontheshoreofthemodernAulisreekedwithnosacrifice。 MrBold’sVisittoPlumsteadWhetherornotheill-naturedpredictionmadebycertainladiesinthebeginningofthelastchapterwasorwasnotcarriedouttotheletter，Iamnotinapositiontostate。 Eleanor，however，certainlydidfeelherselftohavebeenbaffledasshereturnedhomewithallhernewstoherfather。 Certainlyshehadbeenvictorious，certainlyshehadachievedherobject，certainlyshewasnotunhappy，andyetshedidnotfeelherselftriumphant。Everythingwouldrunsmoothnow。 EleanorwasnotatalladdictedtotheLydianschoolofromance；shebynomeansobjectedtoherloverbecausehecameinatthedoorunderthenameofAbsolute，insteadofpullingheroutofawindowunderthenameofBeverley；andyetshefeltthatshehadbeenimposedupon，andcouldhardlythinkofMaryBoldwithsisterlycharity。’IdidthinkIcouldhavetrustedMary，’shesaidtoherselfoverandoveragain。 ’OhthatsheshouldhavedaredtokeepmeintheroomwhenItriedtogetout！’Eleanor，however，feltthatthegamewasup，andthatshehadnownothingfurthertodobuttoaddtothebudgetofnewswhichwaspreparedforherfather，thatJohnBoldwasheracceptedlover。 Wewill，however，nowleaveheronherway，andgowithJohnBoldtoPlumsteadEpiscopi，merelypremisingthatEleanoronreachinghomewillnotfindthingssosmoothasshefondlyexpected；twomessengershadcome，onetoherfatherandtheothertothearchdeacon，andeachofthemmuchopposedtoherquietmodeofsolvingalltheirdifficulties；theoneintheshapeofanumberofTheJupiter，andtheotherinthatofafurtheropinionfromSirAbrahamHaphazard。 JohnBoldgotonhishorseandrodeofftoPlumsteadEpiscopi； notbrisklyandwitheagerspur，asmendoridewhenself- satisfiedwiththeirownintentions；butslowly，modestly，thoughtfully，andsomewhatindreadofthecominginterview。 Nowandagainhewouldrecurtothescenewhichwasjustover，supporthimselfbytheremembranceofthesilencethatgivesconsent，andexultasahappylover。Buteventhisfeelingwasnotwithoutashadeofremorse。Hadhenotshownhimselfchildishlyweakthustoyielduptheresolveofmanyhoursofthoughttothetearsofaprettygirl？Howwashetomeethislawyer？Howwashetobackoutofamatterinwhichhisnamewasalreadysopubliclyconcerned？What，ohwhat！ washetosaytoTomTowers？Whilemeditatingthesepainfulthingshereachedthelodgeleadinguptothearchdeacon’sglebe，andforthefirsttimeinhislifefoundhimselfwithinthesacredprecincts。 Allthedoctor’schildrenweretogetherontheslopeofthelawnclosetotheroad，asBoldrodeuptothehalldoor。TheywerethereholdinghighdebateonmattersevidentlyofdeepinterestatPlumsteadEpiscopi，andthevoicesoftheboyshadbeenheardbeforethelodgegatewasclosed。 FlorindaandGrizzel，frightenedatthesightofsowell- knownanenemytothefamily，fledonthefirstappearanceofthehorseman，andraninterrortotheirmother’sarms；notforthemwasit，tenderbranches，toresentinjuries，orasmembersofachurchmilitanttoputonarmouragainstitsenemies。Buttheboysstoodtheirgroundlikeheroes，andboldlydemandedthebusinessoftheintruder。 ’Doyouwanttoseeanybodyhere，sir？’saidHenry，withadefianteyeandahostiletone，whichplainlysaidthatatanyratenoonetherewantedtoseethepersonsoaddressed；andashespokehebrandishedalofthisgardenwater-pot，holdingitbythespout，readyforthebrainingofanyone。 ’Henry，’saidCharlesJamesslowly，andwithacertaindignityofdiction，’MrBoldofcoursewouldnothavecomewithoutwantingtoseesomeone；ifMrBoldhasapropergroundforwantingtoseesomepersonhere，ofcoursehehasarighttocome。’ ButSamuelsteppedlightlyuptothehorse’shead，andofferedhisservices。’Oh，MrBold，’saidhe，’papa，I’msure，willbegladtoseeyou；Isupposeyouwanttoseepapa。ShallIholdyourhorseforyou？Ohwhataveryprettyhorse！’andheturnedhisheadandwinkedfunnilyathisbrothers。’Papahasheardsuchgoodnewsabouttheoldhospitaltoday。Weknowyou’llbegladtohearit，becauseyou’resuchafriendofgrandpapaHarding，andsomuchinlovewithAuntNelly！’ ’Howd’yedo，lads？’saidBold，dismounting。’Iwanttoseeyourfatherifhe’sathome。’ ’Lads！’saidHenry，turningonhisheelandaddressinghimselftohisbrother，butloudenoughtobeheardbyBold；’lads，indeed！ifwe’relads，whatdoeshecallhimself？’ CharlesJamescondescendedtosaynothingfurther，butcockedhishatwithmuchprecision，andleftthevisitortothecareofhisyoungestbrother。