第22章

Samuelstayedtilltheservantcame，chattingandpattingthehorse；butassoonasBoldhaddisappearedthroughthefrontdoor，hestuckaswitchundertheanimal’stailtomakehimkickifpossible。 Thechurchreformersoonfoundhimselftete-a-tetewiththearchdeaconinthatsameroom，inthatsanctumsanctorumoftherectory，towhichwehavealreadybeenintroduced。Asheenteredheheardtheclickofacertainpatentlock，butitstruckhimwithnosurprise；theworthyclergymanwasnodoubthidingfromeyesprofanehislastmuch-studiedsermon；forthearchdeacon，thoughhepreachedbutseldom，wasfamousforhissermons。Noroom，Boldthought，couldhavebeenmorebecomingforadignitaryofthechurch；eachwallwasloadedwiththeology；overeachseparatebookcasewasprintedinsmallgoldlettersthenamesofthosegreatdivineswhoseworkswererangedbeneath:beginningfromtheearlyfathersinduechronologicalorder，thereweretobefoundthepreciouslaboursofthechosenservantsofthechurchdowntothelastpamphletwritteninoppositiontotheconsecrationofDrHampden；andraisedabovethisweretobeseenthebustsofthegreatestamongthegreat:Chrysostom，StAugustine，ThomasaBecket，CardinalWolsey，ArchbishopLaud，andDrPhilpotts。 Everyappliancethatcouldmakestudypleasantandgiveeasetotheovertoiledbrainwasthere；chairsmadetorelieveeachlimbandmuscle；reading-desksandwriting-deskstosuiteveryattitude；lampsandcandlesmechanicallycontrivedtothrowtheirlightonanyfavouredspot，asthestudentmightdesire；ashoalofnewspaperstoamusethefewleisuremomentswhichmightbestolenfromthelaboursoftheday； andthenfromthewindowaviewrightthroughaboskyvistaalongwhichranabroadgreenpathfromtherectorytothechurch——attheendofwhichthetawny-tintedfineoldtowerwasseenwithallitsvariegatedpinnaclesandparapets。FewparishchurchesinEnglandareinbetterrepair，orbetterworthkeepingso，thanthatatPlumsteadEpiscopi；andyetitisbuiltinafaultystyle:thebodyofthechurchislow——solow，thatthenearlyflatleadenroofwouldbevisiblefromthechurchyard，wereitnotforthecarvedparapetwithwhichitissurrounded。Itiscruciform，thoughthetranseptsareirregular，onebeinglargerthantheother；andthetowerismuchtoohighinproportiontothechurch。Butthecolourofthebuildingisperfect；itisthatrichyellowgraywhichonefindsnowherebutinthesouthandwestofEngland，andwhichissostrongacharacteristicofmostofouroldhousesofTudorarchitecture。Thestoneworkalsoisbeautiful；themullionsofthewindowsandthethicktraceryoftheGothicworkmanshipisasrichasfancycandesire；andthoughingazingonsuchastructureoneknowsbyrulethattheoldpriestswhobuiltit，builtitwrong，onecannotbringoneselftowishthattheyshouldhavemadeitotherthanitis。 WhenBoldwasusheredintothebook-room，hefounditsownerstandingwithhisbacktotheemptyfire-placereadytoreceivehim，andhecouldnotbutperceivethatthatexpansivebrowwaselatedwithtriumph，andthatthosefullheavylipsboremoreprominentlythanusualanappearanceofarrogantsuccess。 ’Well，MrBold，’saidhe——’well，whatcanIdoforyou？ Veryhappy，Icanassureyou，todoanythingforsuchafriendofmyfather-in-law。’ ’Ihopeyou’llexcusemycalling，DrGrantly。’ ’Certainly，certainly，’saidthearchdeacon；’Icanassureyou，noapologyisnecessaryfromMrBold；onlyletmeknowwhatIcandoforhim。’ DrGrantlywasstandinghimself，andhedidnotaskBoldtosit，andthereforehehadtotellhistalestanding，leaningonthetable，withhishatinhishand。Hedid，however，managetotellit；andasthearchdeaconneveronceinterruptedhim，orevenencouragedhimbyasingleword，hewasnotlongincomingtotheendofit。 ’Andso，MrBold，I’mtounderstand，Ibelieve，thatyouaredesirousofabandoningthisattackuponMrHarding。’ ’Oh，DrGrantly，therehasbeennoattack，Icanassureyou——’ ’Well，well，wewon’tquarrelaboutwords；Ishouldcallitanattack——mostmenwouldsocallanendeavourtotakeawayfromamaneveryshillingofincomethathehastoliveupon； butitsha’n’tbeanattack，ifyoudon’tlikeit；youwishtoabandonthis——thislittlegameofbackgammonyou’vebeguntoplay。’ ’IintendtoputanendtothelegalproceedingswhichIhavecommenced。’ ’Iunderstand，’saidthearchdeacon。’You’vealreadyhadenoughofit；well，Ican’tsaythatIamsurprised；carryingonalosinglawsuitwhereonehasnothingtogain，buteverythingtopay，isnotpleasant。’ Boldturnedveryredintheface。’Youmisinterpretmymotives，’saidhe；’but，however，thatisoflittleconsequence。 Ididnotcometotroubleyouwithmymotives，buttotellyouamatteroffact。Good-morning，DrGrantly。’ ’Onemoment——onemoment，’saidtheother。’Idon’texactlyappreciatethetastewhichinducedyoutomakeanypersonalcommunicationtomeonthesubject；butIdaresayI’mwrong，Idaresayyourjudgmentisthebetterofthetwo； butasyouhavedonemethehonour——asyouhave，asitwere，forcedmeintoacertainamountofconversationonasubjectwhichhadbetter，perhaps，havebeenlefttoourlawyers，youwillexcusemeifIaskyoutohearmyreplytoyourcommunication。’ ’Iaminnohurry，DrGrantly。’ ’Well，Iam，MrBold；mytimeisnotexactlyleisuretime，and，therefore，ifyouplease，we’llgotothepointatonce——you’regoingtoabandonthislawsuit？’——andhepausedforareply。 ’Yes，DrGrantly，Iam。’ ’Havingexposedagentlemanwhowasoneofyourfather’swarmestfriendstoalltheignominyandinsolencewhichthepresscouldheapuponhisname，havingsomewhatostentatiouslydeclaredthatitwasyourdutyasamanofhighpublicvirtuetoprotectthosepooroldfoolswhomyouhavehumbuggedthereatthehospital，younowfindthatthegamecostsmorethanit’sworth，andsoyoumakeupyourmindtohavedonewithit。Aprudentresolution，MrBold；butitisapityyoushouldhavebeensolongcomingtoit。Hasitstruckyouthatwemaynotnowchoosetogiveover？thatwemayfinditnecessarytopunishtheinjuryyouhavedonetous？Areyouaware，sir，thatwehavegonetoenormousexpensetoresistthisiniquitousattemptofyours？’ Bold’sfacewasnowfuriouslyred，andhenearlycrushedhishatbetweenhishands；buthesaidnothing。 ’Wehavefounditnecessarytoemploythebestadvicethatmoneycouldprocure。Areyouaware，sir，whatmaybetheprobablecostofsecuringtheservicesoftheattorney-general？’ ’Notintheleast，DrGrantly。’ ’Idaresaynot，sir。WhenyourecklesslyputthisaffairintothehandsofyourfriendMrFinney，whosesix-and-eightpencesandthirteen-and-fourpencesmay，probably，notamounttoalargesum，youwereindifferentastothecostandsufferingwhichsuchaproceedingmightentailonothers；butareyouaware，sir，thatthesecrushingcostsmustnowcomeoutofyourownpocket？’ ’AnydemandofsuchanaturewhichMrHarding’slawyermayhavetomakewilldoubtlessbemadetomylawyer。’ ’“MrHarding’slawyerandmylawyer！“Didyoucomeheremerelytorefermetothelawyers？UponmywordI thinkthehonourofyourvisitmighthavebeenspared！Andnow，sir，I’lltellyouwhatmyopinionis——myopinionis，thatweshallnotallowyoutowithdrawthismatterfromthecourts。’ ’Youcandoasyouplease，DrGrantly；good-morning。’ ’Hearmeout，sir，’saidthearchdeacon；’IhavehereinmyhandsthelastopiniongiveninthismatterbySirAbrahamHaphazard。Idaresayyouhavealreadyheardofthis——I daresayithashadsomethingtodowithyourvisitheretoday。’ ’IknownothingwhateverofSirAbrahamHaphazardorhisopinion。’ ’Bethatasitmay，hereitis；hedeclaresmostexplicitlythatundernophasisoftheaffairwhateverhaveyoualegtostandupon；thatMrHardingisassafeinhishospitalasIamhereinmyrectory；thatamorefutileattempttodestroyamanwasnevermade，thanthiswhichyouhavemadetoruinMrHarding。Here，’andheslappedthepaperonthetable，’I havethisopinionfromtheveryfirstlawyerintheland；andunderthesecircumstancesyouexpectmetomakeyoualowbowforyourkindoffertoreleaseMrHardingfromthetoilsofyournet！Sir，yournetisnotstrongenoughtoholdhim； sir，yournethasfallentopieces，andyouknewthatwellenoughbeforeItoldyou——andnow，sir，I’llwishyougood- morning，forI’mbusy。’ Boldwasnowchokingwithpassion。Hehadletthearchdeaconrunonbecauseheknewnotwithwhatwordstointerrupthim；butnowthathehadbeensodefiedandinsulted，hecouldnotleavetheroomwithoutsomereply。 ’DrGrantly，’hecommenced。 ’Ihavenothingfurthertosayortohear，’saidthearchdeacon。 ’I’lldomyselfthehonourtoorderyourhorse。’Andherangthebell。 ’Icamehere，DrGrantly，withthewarmest，kindestfeelings——’ ’Oh，ofcourseyoudid；nobodydoubtsit。’ ’Withthekindestfeelings——andtheyhavebeenmostgrosslyoutragedbyyourtreatment。’ ’Ofcoursetheyhave——Ihavenotchosentoseemyfather-in-lawruined；whatanoutragethathasbeentoyourfeelings！’ ’Thetimewillcome，DrGrantly，whenyouwillunderstandwhyIcalleduponyoutoday。’ ’Nodoubt，nodoubt。IsMrBold’shorsethere？That’sright；openthefrontdoor。Good-morning，MrBold’；andthedoctorstalkedintohisowndrawing-room，closingthedoorbehindhim，andmakingitquiteimpossiblethatJohnBoldshouldspeakanotherword。