第29章

TotheHouseMrHardingwent，andlefthisnote，notfindingSirAbrahamthere。Headdedamostpiteousentreatythathemightbefavouredwithananswerthatevening，forwhichhewouldreturn。HethenjourneyedbacksadlytotheChapterCoffeeHouse，digestinghisgreatthoughts，asbesthemight，inaclatteringomnibus，wedgedinbetweenawetoldladyandajourneymanglazierreturningfromhisworkwithhistoolsinhislap。Inmelancholysolitudehediscussedhismuttonchopandpintofport。Whatisthereinthisworldmoremelancholythansuchadinner？Adinner，thougheatenalone，inacountryhotelmaybeworthyofsomeenergy；thewaiter，ifyouareknown，willmakemuchofyou；thelandlordwillmakeyouabowandperhapsputthefishonthetable； ifyouringyouareattendedto，andthereissomelifeaboutit。 AdinnerataLondoneating-houseisalsolivelyenough，ifithavenootherattraction。Thereisplentyofnoiseandstiraboutit，andtherapidwhirlofvoicesandrattleofdishesdispersessadness。Butasolitarydinnerinanold，respectable，sombre，solidLondoninn，wherenothingmakesanynoisebuttheoldwaiter’screakingshoes；whereoneplateslowlygoesandanotherslowlycomeswithoutasound；wherethetwoorthreeguestswouldassoonthinkofknockingeachotherdownasofspeaking；wheretheservantswhisper，andthewholehouseholdisdisturbedifanorderbegivenabovethevoice—— whatcanbemoremelancholythanamuttonchopandapintofportinsuchaplace？ HavinggonethroughthisMrHardinggotintoanotheromnibus，andagainreturnedtotheHouse。Yes，SirAbrahamwasthere，andwasthatmomentonhislegs，fightingeagerlyforthehundredandseventhclauseoftheConventCustodyBill。MrHarding’snotehadbeendeliveredtohim；andifMrHardingwouldwaitsometwoorthreehours，SirAbrahamcouldbeaskedwhethertherewasanyanswer。TheHousewasnotfull，andperhapsMrHardingmightgetadmittanceintotheStrangers’Gallery，whichadmission，withthehelpoffiveshillings，MrHardingwasabletoeffect。 ThisbillofSirAbraham’shadbeenreadasecondtimeandpassedintocommittee。Ahundredandsixclauseshadalreadybeendiscussedandhadoccupiedonlyfourmorningsandfiveeveningsittings；nineofthehundredandsixclauseswerepassed，fifty-fivewerewithdrawnbyconsent，fourteenhadbeenalteredsoastomeanthereverseoftheoriginalproposition，elevenhadbeenpostponedforfurtherconsideration，andseventeenhadbeendirectlynegatived。Thehundredandseventhorderedthebodilysearchingofnunsforjesuiticalsymbolsbyagedclergymen，andwasconsideredtobetherealmainstayofthewholebill。Nointentionhadeverexistedtopasssuchalawasthatproposed，butthegovernmentdidnotintendtoabandonittilltheirobjectwasfullyattainedbythediscussionofthisclause。ItwasknownthatitwouldbeinsistedonwithterriblevehemencebyProtestantIrishmembers，andasvehementlydenouncedbytheRomanCatholic；anditwasjustlyconsideredthatnofurtherunionbetweenthepartieswouldbepossibleaftersuchabattle。TheinnocentIrishfellintothetrapastheyalwaysdo，andwhiskeyandpoplinsbecameadruginthemarket。 Aflorid-facedgentlemanwithaniceheadofhair，fromthesouthofIreland，hadsucceededincatchingthespeaker’seyebythetimethatMrHardinghadgotintothegallery，andwasdenouncingtheproposedsacrilege，hiswholefaceglowingwithafinetheatricalfrenzy。 ’AndthisisaChristiancountry？’saidhe。(Loudcheers； countercheersfromtheministerialbenches。’Somedoubtastothat，’fromavoicebelowthegangway。)’No，itcanbenoChristiancountry，inwhichtheheadofthebar，thelagaladviser(loudlaughterandcheers)-yes，Isaythelagaladviserofthecrown(greatcheersandlaughter)——canstandupinhisseatinthishouse(prolongedcheersandlaughter)，andattempttolagaliseindacentassaultsonthebodiesofreligiousladies。’(Deafeningcheersandlaughter，whichwereprolongedtillthehonourablememberresumedhisseat。) WhenMrHardinghadlistenedtothisandmuchmoreofthesamekindforaboutthreehours，hereturnedtothedooroftheHouse，andreceivedbackfromthemessengerhisownnote，withthefollowingwordsscrawledinpencilonthebackofit: ’To-morrow，10P。M——mychambers——A。H。’ Hewassofarsuccessful——but10P。M。:whatanhourSirAbrahamhadnamedforalegalinterview！MrHardingfeltperfectlysurethatlongbeforethatDrGrantlywouldbeinLondon。DrGrantlycouldnot，however，knowthatthisinterviewhadbeenarranged，norcouldhelearnitunlesshemanagedtogetholdofSirAbrahambeforethathour；andasthiswasveryimprobable，MrHardingdeterminedtostartfromhishotelearly，merelyleavingwordthatheshoulddineout，andunlessluckweremuchagainsthim，hemightstillescapethearchdeacontillhisreturnfromtheattorney-general’schambers。 Hewasatbreakfastatnine，andforthetwentiethtimeconsultedhisBradshaw，toseeatwhatearliesthourDrGrantlycouldarrivefromBarchester。Asheexaminedthecolumns，hewasnearlypetrifiedbythereflectionthatperhapsthearchdeaconmightcomeupbythenight-mailtrain！Hisheartsankwithinhimatthehorrididea，andforamomenthefelthimselfdraggedbacktoBarchesterwithoutaccomplishinganyportionofhisobject。ThenherememberedthathadDrGrantlydoneso，hewouldhavebeeninthehotel，lookingforhimlongsince。 ’Waiter，’saidhe，timidly。 Thewaiterapproached，creakinginhisshoes，butvoiceless。 ’Didanygentleman——aclergyman，arriveherebythenight- mailtrain？’ ’No，sir，notone，’whisperedthewaiter，puttinghismouthnearlyclosetothewarden’sear。 MrHardingwasreassured。 ’Waiter，’saidheagain，andthewaiteragaincreakedup。 ’Ifanyonecallsforme，Iamgoingtodineout，andshallreturnabouteleveno’clock。’ Thewaiternodded，butdidnotthistimevouchsafeanyreply；andMrHarding，takinguphishat，proceededouttopassalongdayinthebestwayhecould，somewhereoutofsightofthearchdeacon。 BradshawhadtoldhimtwentytimesthatDrGrantlycouldnotbeatPaddingtonstationtill2P。M。，andourpoorfriendmightthereforehavetrustedtotheshelterofthehotelforsomehourslongerwithperfectsafety；buthewasnervous。Therewasnoknowingwhatstepsthearchdeaconmighttakeforhisapprehension:amessagebyelectrictelegraphmightdesirethelandlordofthehoteltosetawatchuponhim；somelettermightcomewhichhemightfindhimselfunabletodisobey； atanyrate，hecouldnotfeelhimselfsecureinanyplaceatwhichthearchdeaconcouldexpecttofindhim；andat10A。M。hestartedforthtospendtwelvehoursinLondon。 MrHardinghadfriendsintownhadhechosentoseekthem；buthefeltthathewasinnohumourforordinarycalls，andhedidnotnowwishtoconsultwithanyoneastothegreatstepwhichhehaddeterminedtotake。Ashehadsaidtohisdaughter，nooneknowswheretheshoepinchesbutthewearer。 Therearesomepointsonwhichnomancanbecontentedtofollowtheadviceofanother——somesubjectsonwhichamancanconsulthisownconscienceonly。Ourwardenhadmadeuphismindthatitwasgoodforhimatanycosttogetridofthisgrievance；hisdaughterwastheonlypersonwhoseconcurrenceappearednecessarytohim，andshedidconcurwithhimmostheartily。Undersuchcircumstanceshewouldnot，ifhecouldhelpit，consultanyonefurther，tilladvicewouldbeuseless。Shouldthearchdeaconcatchhim，indeed，therewouldbemuchadvice，andmuchconsultationofakindnottobeavoided；buthehopedbetterthings；andashefeltthathecouldnotnowconverseonindifferentsubjects，heresolvedtoseenoonetillafterhisinterviewwiththeattorney-general。 HedeterminedtotakesanctuaryinWestminsterAbbey，soheagainwentthitherinanomnibus，andfindingthatthedoorswerenotopenformorningservice，hepaidhistwopence，andwentinasasightseer。Itoccurredtohimthathehadnodefiniteplaceofrestfortheday，andthatheshouldbeabsolutelywornoutbeforehisinterviewifheattemptedtowalkaboutfrom10A。M。to10P。M。，sohesathimselfdownonastonestep，andgazedupatthefigureofWilliamPitt，wholooksasthoughhehadjustenteredthechurchforthefirsttimeinhislifeandwasanythingbutpleasedatfindinghimselfthere。 Hehadbeensittingunmolestedabouttwentyminuteswhenthevergeraskedhimwhetherhewouldn’tliketowalkround。 MrHardingdidn’twanttowalkanywhere，anddeclined，merelyobservingthathewaswaitingforthemorningservice。 Theverger，seeingthathewasaclergyman，toldhimthatthedoorsofthechoirwerenowopen，andshowedhimintoaseat。 Thiswasagreatpointgained；thearchdeaconwouldcertainlynotcometomorningserviceatWestminsterAbbey，eventhoughhewereinLondon；andherethewardencouldrestquietly，and，whenthetimecame，dulysayhisprayers。 Helongedtogetupfromhisseat，andexaminethemusic- booksofthechoristers，andthecopyofthelitanyfromwhichtheservicewaschanted，toseehowfarthelittledetailsatWestminstercorrespondedwiththoseatBarchester，andwhetherhethoughthisownvoicewouldfillthechurchwellfromtheWestminsterprecentor’sseat。Therewould，however，beimproprietyinsuchmeddling，andhesatperfectlystill，lookingupatthenobleroof，andguardingagainstthecomingfatiguesoftheday。 Bydegreestwoorthreepeopleentered；theverysamedampoldwomanwhohadnearlyobliteratedhimintheomnibus，orsomeotherjustlikeher；acoupleofyoungladieswiththeirveilsdown，andgiltcrossesconspicuousontheirprayer-books；anoldmanoncrutches；apartywhowereseeingtheabbey，andthoughttheymightaswellheartheservicefortheirtwopence，asopportunityserved；andayoungwomanwithherprayer-bookdoneupinherhandkerchief，whorushedinlate，and，inherhurriedentry，tumbledoveroneoftheforms，andmadesuchanoisethateveryone，eventheofficiatingminorcanon，wasstartled，andsheherselfwassofrightenedbytheechoofherowncatastrophethatshewasnearlythrownintofitsbythepanic。 MrHardingwasnotmuchedifiedbythemanneroftheservice。Theminorcanoninquestionhurriedin，somewhatlate，inasurplicenotintheneatestorder，andwasfollowedbyadozenchoristers，whowerealsonotastrimastheymighthavebeen:theyalljostledintotheirplaceswithaquickhurriedstep，andtheservicewassooncommenced。Sooncommencedandsoonover——fortherewasnomusic，andtimewasnotunnecessarilylostinthechanting。OnthewholeMrHardingwasofopinionthatthingsweremanagedbetteratBarchester，thougheventhereheknewthattherewasroomforimprovement。