第27章

butEnglishmendidnotseeenoughintheargumenttoinducethemtowithdrawtheirconfidencefromthepresentarrangementsofthegovernment，andDrAnticant’smonthlypamphletonthedecayoftheworlddidnotreceivesomuchattentionashisearlierworks。Hedidnotconfinehimselftopoliticsinthesepublications，butroamedatlargeoverallmattersofpublicinterest，andfoundeverythingbad。Accordingtohimnobodywastrue，andnotonlynobody，butnothing； amancouldnottakeoffhishattoaladywithouttellingalie——theladywouldlieagaininsmiling。Therufflesofthegentleman’sshirtwouldbefraughtwithdeceit，andthelady’sflouncesfulloffalsehood。Waseveranythingmoreseverethanthatattackofhisonchipbonnets，ortheanathemaswithwhichheendeavouredtodustthepowderoutofthebishops’wigs？ ThepamphletwhichTomTowersnowpushedacrossthetablewasentitledModernCharity，andwaswrittenwiththeviewofprovinghowmuchinthewayofcharitywasdonebyourpredecessors——howlittlebythepresentage；anditendedbyacomparisonbetweenancientandmoderntimes，verylittletothecreditofthelatter。 ’Lookatthis，’saidTowers，gettingupandturningoverthepagesofthepamphlet，andpointingtoapassageneartheend。 ’Yourfriendthewarden，whoissolittleselfish，won’tlikethat，Ifear。’Boldreadasfollows—— ’Heavens，whatasight！Letuswitheyeswideopenseethegodlymanoffourcenturiessince，themanofthedarkages； letusseehowhedoeshisgodlikework，and，again，howthegodlymanoftheselatterdaysdoeshis。 ’Shallwesaythattheformerisonewalkingpainfullythroughtheworld，regarding，asaprudentman，hisworldlywork，prosperinginitasadiligentmanwillprosper，butalwayswithaneyetothatbettertreasuretowhichthievesdonotcreepin？Istherenotmuchnobilityinthatoldman，as，leaningonhisoakenstaff，hewalksdowntheHighStreetofhisnativetown，andreceivesfromallcourteoussalutationandacknowledgmentofhisworth？Anobleoldman，myaugustinhabitantsofBelgraveSquareandsuchlikevicinity——averynobleoldman，thoughemployednobetterthaninthewholesalecardingofwool。 ’Thiscardingofwool，however，didinthosedaysbringwithitmuchprofit，sothatourancientfriend，whendying，wasdeclared，inwhateverslangthenprevailed，tocutupexceedingwell。Forsonsanddaughterstherewasamplesustenancewithassistanceofdueindustry；forfriendsandrelativessomereliefforgriefatthisgreatloss；forageddependentscomfortindecliningyears。Thiswasmuchforoneoldmantogetdoneinthatdarkfifteenthcentury。Butthiswasnotall:cominggenerationsofpoorwool-cardersshouldblessthenameofthisrichone；andahospitalshouldbefoundedandendowedwithhiswealthforthefeedingofsuchofthetradeascouldnot，bydiligentcarding，anylongerdulyfeedthemselves。 ’’Twasthusthatanoldmaninthefifteenthcenturydidhisgodlikeworktothebestofhispower，andnotignobly，asappearstome。 ’Wewillnowtakeourgodlymanoflatterdays。Heshallnolongerbeawool-carder，forsucharenotnowmenofmark。 Wewillsupposehimtobeoneofthebestofthegood，onewhohaslackednoopportunities。Ouroldfriendwas，afterall，butilliterate；ourmodernfriendshallbeamaneducatedinallseemlyknowledge；heshall，inshort，bethatblessedbeing—— aclergymanoftheChurchofEngland！ ’Andnow，inwhatperfectestmannerdoesheinthislowerworldgethisgodlikeworkdoneandputoutofhand？ Heavens！inthestrangestofmanners。Oh，mybrother！inamannernotatalltobebelieved，butbythemostminutetestimonyofeyesight。Hedoesitbythemagnitudeofhisappetite——bythepowerofhisgorge；hisonlyoccupationistoswallowthebreadpreparedwithsomuchanxiouscarefortheseimpoverishedcardersofwool——that，andtosingindifferentlythroughhisnoseonceintheweeksomepsalmmoreorlesslong——theshorterthebetter，weshouldbeinclinedtosay。 ’Oh，mycivilisedfriends！——greatBritonsthatneverwillbeslaves，menadvancedtoinfinitestateoffreedomandknowledgeofgoodandevil——tellme，willyou，whatbecomingmonumentyouwillerecttoanhighly-educatedclergymanoftheChurchofEngland？’ Boldcertainlythoughtthathisfriendwouldnotlikethat: hecouldnotconceiveanythingthathewouldlikelessthanthis。Towhataworldoftoilandtroublehadhe，Bold，givenrisebyhisindiscreetattackuponthehospital！ ’Yousee，’saidTowers，’thatthisaffairhasbeenmuchtalkedof，andthepublicarewithyou。Iamsorryyoushouldgivethematterup。HaveyouseenthefirstnumberofTheAlmshouse？’ No；BoldhadnotseenTheAlmshouse。HehadseenadvertisementsofMrPopularSentiment’snewnovelofthatname，buthadinnowayconnecteditwithBarchesterHospital，andhadneverthoughtamomentonthesubject。 ’It’sadirectattackonthewholesystem，’saidTowers。 ’It’llgoalongwaytoputdownRochester，andBarchester，andDulwich，andStCross，andallsuchhotbedsofpeculation。 It’sveryclearthatSentimenthasbeendowntoBarchester，andgotupthewholestorythere；indeed，Ithoughthemusthavehaditallfromyou，it’sverywelldone，asyou’llsee:hisfirstnumbersalwaysare。’ BolddeclaredthatMrSentimenthadgotnothingfromhim，andthathewasdeeplygrievedtofindthatthecasehadbecomesonotorious。 ’Thefirehasgonetoofartobequenched，’saidTowers； ’thebuildingmustgonow；andasthetimbersareallrotten，why，Ishouldbeinclinedtosay，thesoonerthebetter。I expectedtoseeyougetsomeeclatinthematter。’ ThiswasallwormwoodtoBold。Hehaddoneenoughtomakehisfriendthewardenmiserableforlife，andhadthenbackedoutjustwhenthesuccessofhisprojectwassufficienttomakethequestiononeofrealinterest。Howweaklyhehadmanagedhisbusiness！hehadalreadydonetheharm，andthenstayedhishandwhenthegoodwhichhehadinviewwastobecommenced。Howdelightfulwouldithavebeentohaveemployedallhisenergyinsuchacause——tohavebeenbackedbyTheJupiter，andwrittenuptobytwoofthemostpopularauthorsoftheday！Theideaopenedaviewintotheveryworldinwhichhewishedtolive。Towhatmightitnothavegivenrise？whatdelightfulintimacies——whatpublicpraise—— towhatAthenianbanquetsandrichflavourofAtticsalt？ This，however，wasnowpasthope。Hehadpledgedhimselftoabandonthecause；andcouldhehaveforgottenthepledgehehadgonetoofartoretreat。Hewasnow，thismoment，sittinginTomTowers’roomwiththeobjectofdeprecatinganyfurtherarticlesinTheJupiter，and，greatlyashedislikedthejob，hispetitiontothateffectmustbemade。 ’Icouldn’tcontinueit，’saidhe，’becauseIfoundIwasinthewrong。’ TomTowersshruggedhisshoulders。Howcouldasuccessfulmanbeinthewrong！’Inthatcase，’saidhe，’ofcourseyoumustabandonit。’ ’AndIcalledthismorningtoaskyoualsotoabandonit，’ saidBold。 ’Toaskme，’saidTomTowers，withthemostplacidofsmiles，andaconsummatelookofgentlesurprise，asthoughTomTowerswaswellawarethatheofallmenwasthelasttomeddleinsuchmatters。 ’Yes，’saidBold，almosttremblingwithhesitation。’TheJupiter，youknow，hastakenthematterupverystrongly。 MrHardinghasfeltwhatithassaiddeeply；andIthoughtthatifIcouldexplaintoyouthathepersonallyhasnotbeentoblame，thesearticlesmightbediscontinued。’ HowcalmlyimpassivewasTomTowers’face，asthisinnocentlittlepropositionwasmade！HadBoldaddressedhimselftothedoorpostsinMountOlympus，theywouldhaveshownasmuchoutwardsignofassentordissent。Hisquiescencewasquiteadmirable；hisdiscretioncertainlymorethanhuman。 ’Mydearfellow，’saidhe，whenBoldhadquitedonespeaking，’IreallycannotanswerforTheJupiter。’ ’Butifyousawthatthesearticleswereunjust，IthinkthatYouWouldendeavourtoputastoptothem。Ofcoursenobodydoubtsthatyoucould，ifyouchose。’ ’Nobodyandeverybodyarealwaysverykind，butunfortunatelyaregenerallyverywrong。’ ’Come，come，Towers，’saidBold，pluckinguphiscourage，andrememberingthatforEleanor’ssakehewasboundtomakehisbestexertion；’Ihavenodoubtinmyownmindbutthatyouwrotethearticlesyourself，andverywellwrittentheywere:itwillbeagreatfavourifyouwillinfutureabstainfromanypersonalallusiontopoorHarding。’ ’MydearBold，’saidTomTowers，’Ihaveasincereregardforyou。Ihaveknownyouformanyyears，andvalueyourfriendship；Ihopeyouwillletmeexplaintoyou，withoutoffence，thatnonewhoareconnectedwiththepublicpresscanwithproprietylistentointerference。’ ’Interference！’saidBold，’Idon’twanttointerfere。’ ’Ah，but，mydearfellow，youdo；whatelseisit？YouthinkthatIamabletokeepcertainremarksoutofanewspaper。 Yourinformationisprobablyincorrect，asmostpublicgossiponsuchsubjectsis；but，atanyrate，youthinkIhavesuchpower，andyouaskmetouseit:nowthatisinterference。’ ’Well，ifyouchoosetocallitso。’