第24章

’Butthearchdeacon，papa？’ ’Ican’thelpit，mydear；therearesomethingswhichamancannotbear——Icannotbearthat’；andheputhishanduponthenewspaper。 ’Butwillthearchdeacongowithyou？’ Totellthetruth，MrHardinghadmadeuphismindtostealamarchuponthearchdeacon。Hewasawarethathecouldtakenostepswithoutinforminghisdreadson-in-law，buthehadresolvedthathewouldsendoutanotetoPlumsteadEpiscopidetailinghisplans，butthatthemessengershouldnotleaveBarchestertillhehimselfhadstartedforLondon； sothathemightbeadaybeforethedoctor，who，hehadnodoubt，wouldfollowhim。Inthatday，ifhehadluck，hemightarrangeitall；hemightexplaintoSirAbrahamthathe，aswarden，wouldhavenothingfurthertodowiththedefenceabouttobesetup；hemightsendinhisofficialresignationtohisfriendthebishop，andsomakepublicthewholetransaction，thateventhedoctorwouldnotbeabletoundowhathehaddone。Heknewtoowellthedoctor’sstrengthandhisownweaknesstosupposehecoulddothis，iftheybothreachedLondontogether；indeed，hewouldneverbeabletogettoLondon，ifthedoctorknewofhisintendedjourneyintimetopreventit。 ’No，Ithinknot，’saidhe。’IthinkIshallstartbeforethearchdeaconcouldbeready——Ishallgoearlytomorrowmorning。’ ’Thatwillbebest，papa，’saidEleanor，showingthatherfather’srusewasappreciated。 ’Whyyes，mylove。Thefactis，Iwishtodoallthisbeforethearchdeaconcan——caninterfere。Thereisagreatdealoftruthinallhesays——hearguesverywell，andIcan’talwaysanswerhim；butthereisanoldsaying，Nelly:“Everyoneknowswherehisownshoepinches！“He’llsaythatIwantmoralcourage，andstrengthofcharacter，andpowerofendurance，andit’salltrue；butI’msureIoughtnottoremainhere，ifI havenothingbettertoputforwardthanaquibble:so，Nelly，weshallhavetoleavethisprettyplace。’ Eleanor’sfacebrightenedup，assheassuredherfatherhowcordiallysheagreedwithhim。 ’True，mylove，’saidhe，nowagainquitehappyandateaseinhismanner。’Whatgoodtousisthisplaceorallthemoney，ifwearetobeill-spokenof？’ ’Oh，papa，Iamsoglad！’ ’Mydarlingchild！Itdidcostmeapangatfirst，Nelly，tothinkthatyoushouldloseyourprettydrawing-room，andyourponies，andyourgarden:thegardenwillbetheworstofall—— butthereisagardenatCrabtree，averyprettygarden。’ CrabtreeParvawasthenameofthesmalllivingwhichMrHardinghadheldasaminorcanon，andwhichstillbelongedtohim。Itwasonlyworthsomeeightypoundsayear，andasmallhouseandglebe，allofwhichwerenowhandedovertoMrHarding’scurate；butitwastoCrabtreeglebethatMrHardingthoughtofretiring。Thisparishmustnotbemistakenforthatotherliving，CrabtreeCanonicorum，asitiscalled。CrabtreeCanonicorumisaverynicething；thereareonlytwohundredparishioners；therearefourhundredacresofglebe；andthegreatandsmalltithes，whichbothgototherector，areworthfourhundredpoundsayearmore。CrabtreeCanonicorumisinthegiftofthedeanandchapter，andisatthistimepossessedbytheHonourableandReverendDrVeseyStanhope，whoalsofillstheprebendalstallofGoosegorgeinBarchesterChapter，andholdstheunitedrectoryofEiderdownandStogpingum，orStokePinquium，asitshouldbewritten。ThisisthesameDrVeseyStanhopewhosehospitablevillaontheLakeofComoissowellknowntotheeliteofEnglishtravellers，andwhosecollectionofLombardbutterfliesissupposedtobeunique。 ’Yes，’saidthewarden，musing，’thereisaveryprettygardenatCrabtree；butIshallbesorrytodisturbpoorSmith。’ SmithwasthecurateofCrabtree，agentlemanwhowasmaintainingawifeandhalfadozenchildrenontheincomearisingfromhisprofession。 Eleanorassuredherfatherthat，asfarasshewasconcerned，shecouldleaveherhouseandherponieswithoutasingleregret。Shewasonlysohappythathewasgoing——goingwherehewouldescapeallthisdreadfulturmoil。 ’Butwewilltakethemusic，mydear。’ Andsotheywentonplanningtheirfuturehappiness，andplottinghowtheywouldarrangeitallwithouttheinterpositionofthearchdeacon，andatlasttheyagainbecameconfidential，andthenthewardendidthankherforwhatshehaddone，andEleanor，lyingonherfather’sshoulder，didfindanopportunitytotellhersecret:andthefathergavehisblessingtohischild，andsaidthatthemanwhomshelovedwashonest，good，andkind-hearted，andright-thinkinginthemain——onewhowantedonlyagoodwifetoputhimquiteupright——’aman，mylove，’heendedbysaying，’towhomIfirmlybelievethatIcantrustmytreasurewithsafety。’ ’ButwhatwillDrGrantlysay？’ ’Well，mydear，itcan’tbehelped——weshallbeoutatCrabtreethen。’ AndEleanorranupstairstoprepareherfather’sclothesforhisjourney；andthewardenreturnedtohisgardentomakehislastadieuxtoeverytree，andshrub，andshadynookthatheknewsowell。 MountOlympusWretchedinspirit，groaningunderthefeelingofinsult，self-condemning，andill-satisfiedineveryway，BoldreturnedtohisLondonlodgings。Illashehadfaredinhisinter-viewwiththearchdeacon，hewasnotthelessunderthenecessityofcarryingouthispledgetoEleanor；andhewentabouthisungracioustaskwithaheavyheart。 TheattorneyswhomhehademployedinLondonreceivedhisinstructionswithsurpriseandevidentmisgiving；however，theycouldonlyobey，andmuttersomethingoftheirsorrowthatsuchheavycostsshouldonlyfallupontheirownemployer——especiallyasnothingwaswantingbutperseverancetothrowthemontheoppositeparty。Boldlefttheofficewhichhehadlatterlysomuchfrequented，shakingthedustfromoffhisfeet；andbeforehewasdownthestairs，anedicthadalreadygoneforthforthepreparationofthebill。 Henextthoughtofthenewspapers。Thecasehadbeentakenupbymorethanone；andhewaswellawarethatthekeynotehadbeensoundedbyTheJupiter。HehadbeenveryintimatewithTomTowers，andhadoftendiscussedwithhimtheaffairsofthehospital。Boldcouldnotsaythatthearticlesinthatpaperhadbeenwrittenathisowninstigation。Hedidnotevenknow，asafact，thattheyhadbeenwrittenbyhisfriend。TomTowershadneversaidthatsuchaviewofthecase，orsuchasideinthedispute，wouldbetakenbythepaperwithwhichhewasconnected。VerydiscreetinsuchmatterswasTomTowers，andaltogetherindisposedtotalklooselyoftheconcernsofthatmightyengineofwhichitwashishighprivilegetomoveinsecretsomeportion。NeverthelessBoldbelievedthattohimwereowingthosedreadfulwordswhichhadcausedsuchpanicatBarchester——andheconceivedhimselfboundtopreventtheirrepetition。Withthisviewhebetookhimselffromtheattorneys’tothatlaboratorywhere，withamazingchemistry，TomTowerscompoundedthunderboltsforthedestructionofallthatisevil，andforthefurtheranceofallthatisgood，inthisandotherhemispheres。 WhohasnotheardofMountOlympus——thathighabodeofallthepowersoftype，thatfavouredseatofthegreatgoddessPica，thatwondroushabitationofgodsanddevils，fromwhence，withceaselesshumofsteamandnever-endingflowofCastalianink，issueforthfiftythousandnightlyedictsforthegovernanceofasubjectnation？ Velvetandgildingdonotmakeathrone，norgoldandjewelsasceptre。Itisathronebecausethemostexaltedonesitsthere——andasceptrebecausethemostmightyonewieldsit。SoitiswithMountOlympus。Shouldastrangermakehiswaythitheratdullnoonday，orduringthesleepyhoursofthesilentafternoon，hewouldfindnoacknowledgedtempleofpowerandbeauty，nofittingfaneforthegreatThunderer，noproudfacadesandpillaredroofstosupportthedignityofthisgreatestofearthlypotentates。Totheoutwardanduninitiatedeye，MountOlympusisasomewhathumblespot，undistinguished，unadorned——nay，almostmean。Itstandsalone，asitwere，inamightycity，closetothedensestthrongofmen，butpartakingneitherofthenoisenorthecrowd；asmallsecluded，drearyspot，tenanted，onewouldsay，byquiteunambitiouspeopleattheeasiestrents。’IsthisMountOlympus？’askstheunbelievingstranger。’Isitfromthesesmall，dark，dingybuildingsthatthoseinfalliblelawsproceedwhichcabinetsarecalledupontoobey；bywhichbishopsaretobeguided，lordsandcommonscontrolled，judgesinstructedinlaw，generalsinstrategy，admiralsinnavaltactics，andorange-womeninthemanagementoftheirbarrows？’’Yes，myfriend——fromthesewalls。FromhereissuetheonlyknowninfalliblebullsfortheguidanceofBritishsoulsandbodies。 ThislittlecourtistheVaticanofEngland。Herereignsapope，self-nominated，self-consecrated——ay，andmuchstrangertoo——self-believing！——apopewhom，ifyoucannotobeyhim，Iwouldadviseyoutodisobeyassilentlyaspossible；apopehithertoafraidofnoLuther；apopewhomanageshisowninquisition，whopunishesunbelieversasnomostskilfulinquisitorofSpaineverdreamtofdoing——onewhocanexcommunicatethoroughly，fearfully，radically；putyoubeyondthepaleofmen’scharity；makeyouodioustoyourdearestfriends，andturnyouintoamonstertobepointedatbythefinger！’ Ohheavens！andthisisMountOlympus！ ItisafactamazingtoordinarymortalsthatTheJupiterisneverwrong。Withwhatendlesscare，withwhatunsparinglabour，dowenotstrivetogettogetherforourgreatnationalcouncilthemenmostfittingtocomposeit。Andhowwefail！ Parliamentisalwayswrong:lookatTheJupiter，andseehowfutilearetheirmeetings，howvaintheircouncil，howneedlessalltheirtrouble！Withwhatpridedoweregardourchiefministers，thegreatservantsofstate，theoligarchsofthenationonwhosewisdomwelean，towhomwelookforguidanceinourdifficulties！ButwhataretheytothewritersofTheJupiter？ Theyholdcounciltogetherandwithanxiousthoughtpainfullyelaboratetheircountry’sgood；butwhenallisdone，TheJupiterdeclaresthatallisnaught。WhyshouldwelooktoLordJohnRussell——whyshouldweregardPalmerstonandGladstone，whenTomTowerswithoutastrugglecanputusright？Lookatourgenerals，whatfaultstheymake；atouradmirals，howinactivetheyare。Whatmoney，honesty，andsciencecando，isdone；andyethowbadlyareourtroopsbroughttogether，fed，conveyed，clothed，armed，andmanaged。 Themostexcellentofourgoodmendotheirbesttomanourships，withtheassistanceofallpossibleexternalappliances；butinvain。All，alliswrong——alas！alas！TomTowers，andhealone，knowsallaboutit。Why，ohwhy，yeearthlyministers，whyhaveyenotfollowedmorecloselythisheaven-sentmessengerthatisamongus？