第23章

Ashegotonhishorse，whichhewasfaintodofeelinglikeadogturnedoutofakitchen，hewasagaingreetedbylittleSammy。 ’Good-bye，MrBold；Ihopewemayhavethepleasureofseeingyouagainbeforelong；Iamsurepapawillalwaysbegladtoseeyou。’ ThatwascertainlythebitterestmomentinJohnBold’slife。 Noteventheremembranceofhissuccessfullovecouldcomforthim；nay，whenhethoughtofEleanorhefeltthatitwasthatverylovewhichhadbroughthimtosuchapass。Thatheshouldhavebeensoinsulted，andbeunabletoreply！Thatheshouldhavegivenupsomuchtotherequestofagirl，andthenhavehadhismotivessomisunderstood！Thatheshouldhavemadesogrossamistakeasthisvisitofhistothearchdeacon’s！ Hebitthetopofhiswhip，tillhepenetratedthehornofwhichitwasmade:hestruckthepooranimalinhisanger，andthenwasdoublyangrywithhimselfathisfutilepassion。Hehadbeensocompletelycheckmated，sopalpablyovercome！andwhatwashetodo？Hecouldnotcontinuehisactionafterpledginghimselftoabandonit；norwasthereanyrevengeinthat——itwastheverysteptowhichhisenemyhadendeavouredtogoadhim！ Hethrewthereinstotheservantwhocametotakehishorse，andrushedupstairsintohisdrawing-room，wherehissisterMarywassitting。 ’Iftherebeadevil，’saidhe，’arealdevilhereonearth，itisDrGrantly。’Hevouchsafedhernofurtherintelligence，butagainseizinghishat，herushedout，andtookhisdepartureforLondonwithoutanotherwordtoanyone。 TheWarden’sDecisionThemeetingbetweenEleanorandherfatherwasnotsostormyasthatdescribedinthelastchapter，butitwashardlymoresuccessful。OnherreturnfromBold’shouseshefoundherfatherinastrangestate。Hewasnotsorrowfulandsilentashehadbeenonthatmemorabledaywhenhisson-in-lawlecturedhimastoallthatheowedtohisorder；norwasheinhisusualquietmood。WhenEleanorreachedthehospital，hewaswalkingtoandfrouponthelawn，andshesoonsawthathewasmuchexcited。 ’IamgoingtoLondon，mydear，’hesaidassoonashesawher。 ’London，papa！’ ’Yes，mydear，toLondon；Iwillhavethismattersettledsomeway；therearesomethings，Eleanor，whichIcannotbear。’ ’Oh，papa，whatisit？’saidshe，leadinghimbythearmintothehouse。’Ihadsuchgoodnewsforyou，andnowyoumakemefearIamtoolate。Andthen，beforehecouldletherknowwhathadcausedthissuddenresolve，orcouldpointtothefatalpaperwhichlayonthetable，shetoldhimthatthelawsuitwasover，thatBoldhadcommissionedhertoassureherfatherinhisnamethatitwouldbeabandoned，——thattherewasnofurthercauseformisery，thatthewholemattermightbelookedonasthoughithadneverbeendiscussed。Shedidnottellhimwithwhatdeterminedvehemenceshehadobtainedthisconcessioninhisfavour，nordidshementionthepriceshewastopayforit。 Thewardendidnotexpresshimselfpeculiarlygratifiedatthisintelligence，andEleanor，thoughshehadnotworkedforthanks，andwasbynomeansdisposedtomagnifyherowngoodoffices，felthurtatthemannerinwhichhernewswasreceived。 ’MrBoldcanactashethinksproper，mylove，’saidhe；’ifMrBoldthinkshehasbeenwrong，ofcoursehewilldiscontinuewhatheisdoing；butthatcannotchangemypurpose。’ ’Oh，papa！’sheexclaimed，allbutcryingwithvexation； ’Ithoughtyouwouldhavebeensohappy——Ithoughtallwouldhavebeenrightnow。’ ’MrBold，’continuedhe，’hassetgreatpeopletowork——sogreatthatIdoubttheyarenowbeyondhiscontrol。Readthat，mydear。’Thewarden，doublingupanumberofTheJupiter，pointedtothepeculiararticlewhichshewastoread。 Itwastothelastofthethreeleaders，whicharegenerallyfurnisheddailyforthesupportofthenation，thatMrHardingdirectedherattention。Itdealtsomeheavyblowsonvariousclericaldelinquents；onfamilieswhoreceivedtheirtensofthousandsyearlyfordoingnothing；onmenwho，asthearticlestated，rolledinwealthwhichtheyhadneitherearnednorinherited，andwhichwasinfactstolenfromthepoorerclergy。Itnamedsomesonsofbishops，andgrandsonsofarchbishops；mengreatintheirway，whohadredeemedtheirdisgraceintheeyesofmanybytheenormityoftheirplunder； andthen，havingdisposedoftheseleviathans，itdescendedtoMrHarding。 ’Wealludedsomeweekssincetoaninstanceofsimilarinjustice，thoughinamorehumblescale，inwhichthewardenofanalmshouseatBarchesterhasbecomepossessedoftheincomeofthegreaterpartofthewholeinstitution。Whyanalmshouseshouldhaveawardenwecannotpretendtoexplain，norcanwesaywhatspecialneedtwelveoldmencanhavefortheservicesofaseparateclergyman，seeingthattheyhavetwelvereservedseatsforthemselvesinBarchesterCathedral。 Butbethisasitmay，letthegentlemancallhimselfwardenorprecentor，orwhathewill，lethimbeneversoscrupulousinexactingreligiousdutiesfromhistwelvedependents，orneversonegligentasregardstheservicesofthecathedral，itappearspalpablyclearthathecanbeentitledtonoportionoftherevenueofthehospital，exceptingthatwhichthefoundersetapartforhim；anditisequallyclearthatthefounderdidnotintendthatthree-fifthsofhischarityshouldbesoconsumed。 ’Thecaseiscertainlyapaltryoneafterthetensofthousandswithwhichwehavebeendealing，forthewarden’sincomeisafterallbutapooreighthundredayear:eighthundredayearisnotmagnificentprefermentofitself，andthewardenmay，foranythingweknow，beworthmuchmoretothechurch；butifso，letthechurchpayhimoutoffundsjustlyatitsowndisposal。 ’WealludetothequestionoftheBarchesteralmshouseatthepresentmoment，becauseweunderstandthatapleahasbeensetupwhichwillbepeculiarlyrevoltingtothemindsofEnglishchurchmen。AnactionhasbeentakenagainstMrWardenHarding，onbehalfofthealmsmen，byagentlemanactingsolelyonpublicgrounds，anditistobearguedthatMrHardingtakesnothingbutwhathereceivedasaservantofthehospital，andthatheisnothimselfresponsiblefortheamountofstipendgiventohimforhiswork。Suchapleawoulddoubtlessbefair，ifanyonequestionedthedailywagesofabricklayeremployedonthebuilding，orthefeeofthecharwomanwhocleansit；butwecannotenvythefeelingofaclergymanoftheChurchofEnglandwhocouldallowsuchanargumenttobeputinhismouth。 ’IfthispleabeputforwardwetrustMrHardingwillbeforcedasawitnesstostatethenatureofhisemployment；theamountofworkthathedoes；theincomewhichhereceives； andthesourcefromwhenceheobtainedhisappointment。 Wedonotthinkhewillreceivemuchpublicsympathytoatonefortheannoyanceofsuchanexamination。’ AsEleanorreadthearticleherfaceflushedwithindignation，andwhenshehadfinishedit，shealmostfearedtolookupatherfather。 ’Well，mydear，’saidhe，’whatdoyouthinkofthat——isitworthwhiletobeawardenatthatprice？’ ’Oh，papa；——dearpapa！’ ’MrBoldcan’tun-writethat，mydear——MrBoldcan’tsaythatthatsha’n’tbereadbyeveryclergymanatOxford；nay，byeverygentlemanintheland’:andthenhewalkedupanddowntheroom，whileEleanorinmutedespairfollowedhimwithhereyes。’AndI’lltellyouwhat，mydear，’hecontinued，speakingnowverycalmly，andinaforcedmannerveryunlikehimself；’MrBoldcan’tdisputethetruthofeverywordinthatarticleyouhavejustread——norcanI。’Eleanorstaredathim，asthoughshescarcelyunderstoodthewordshewasspeaking。’NorcanI，Eleanor:that’stheworstofall，orwouldbesoiftherewerenoremedy。Ihavethoughtmuchofallthissinceweweretogetherlastnight’；andhecameandsatbesideher，andputhisarmroundherwaistashehaddonethen。’Ihavethoughtmuchofwhatthearchdeaconhassaid，andofwhatthispapersays；andIdobelieveIhavenorighttobehere。’ ’Norighttobewardenofthehospital，papa？’ ’Norighttobewardenwitheighthundredayear；norighttobewardenwithsuchahouseasthis；norighttospendinluxurymoneythatwasintendedforcharity。MrBoldmaydoashepleasesabouthissuit，butIhopehewillnotabandonitformysake。’ PoorEleanor！thiswasharduponher。Wasitforthisshehadmadehergreatresolve！Forthisthatshehadlaidasideherquietdemeanour，andtakenuponhertherantsofatragedyheroine！Onemayworkandnotforthanks，butyetfeelhurtatnotreceivingthem；andsoitwaswithEleanor: onemaybedisinterestedinone’sgoodactions，andyetfeeldiscontentedthattheyarenotrecognised。Charitymaybegivenwiththelefthandsoprivilythattherighthanddoesnotknowit，andyetthelefthandmayregrettofeelthatithasnoimmediatereward。Eleanorhadhadnowishtoburdenherfatherwithaweightofobligation，andyetshehadlookedforwardtomuchdelightfromtheknowledgethatshehadfreedhimfromhissorrows:nowsuchhopeswereentirelyover: allthatshehaddonewasofnoavail；shehadhumbledherselftoBoldinvain；theevilwasutterlybeyondherpowertocure！ Shehadthoughtalsohowgentlyshewouldwhispertoherfatherallthatherloverhadsaidtoheraboutherself，andhowimpossibleshehadfoundittorejecthim:andthenshehadanticipatedherfather’skindlykissandcloseembraceashegavehissanctiontoherlove。Alas！shecouldsaynothingofthisnow。InspeakingofMrBold，herfatherputhimasideasonewhosethoughtsandsayingsandactscouldbeofnomoment。Gentlereader，didyoueverfeelyourselfsnubbed？ Didyouever，whenthinkingmuchofyourownimportance，findyourselfsuddenlyreducedtoanonentity？SuchwasEleanor’sfeelingnow。 ’Theyshallnotputforwardthispleaonmybehalf，’continuedthewarden。’Whatevermaybethetruthofthematter，thatatanyrateisnottrue；andthemanwhowrotethatarticleisrightinsayingthatsuchapleaisrevoltingtoanhonestmind。IwillgouptoLondon，mydear，andseetheselawyersmyself，andifnobetterexcusecanbemadeformethanthat，Iandthehospitalwillpart。’