第31章

Hewasfatigued，andsleptsoundlyforsometime。Somesuddenstopinthemusicalclockwokehimatlength，andhejumpedupwithastart，surprisedtofindtheroomquitefull: ithadbeennearlyemptywhenhisnapbegan。Withnervousanxietyhepulledouthiswatch，andfoundthatitwashalf- pastnine。Heseizedhishat，and，hurryingdownstairs，startedatarapidpaceforLincoln’sInn。 ItstillwantedtwentyminutestotenwhenthewardenfoundhimselfatthebottomofSirAbraham’sstairs，sohewalkedleisurelyupanddownthequietinntocoolhimself。 ItwasabeautifuleveningattheendofAugust。Hehadrecoveredfromhisfatigue；hissleepandthecoffeehadrefreshedhim，andhewassurprisedtofindthathewasabsolutelyenjoyinghimself，whentheinnclockstruckten。ThesoundwashardlyoverbeforeheknockedatSirAbraham’sdoor，andwasinformedbytheclerkwhoreceivedhimthatthegreatmanwouldbewithhimimmediately。 SirAbrahamHaphazardMrHardingwasshownintoacomfortableinnersitting-room，lookingmorelikeagentleman’sbook-roomthanalawyer’schambers，andtherewaitedforSirAbraham。 Norwashekeptwaitinglong:intenorfifteenminutesheheardaclatterofvoicesspeakingquicklyinthepassage，andthentheattorney-generalentered。 ’Verysorrytokeepyouwaiting，MrWarden，’saidSirAbraham，shakinghandswithhim；’andsorry，too，tonamesodisagreeableanhour；butyournoticewasshort，andasyousaidtoday，Inamedtheveryearliesthourthatwasnotdisposedof。’ MrHardingassuredhimthathewasawarethatitwashethatshouldapologise。 SirAbrahamwasatallthinman，withhairprematurelygray，butbearingnoothersignofage；hehadaslightstoop，inhisneckratherthanhisback，acquiredbyhisconstanthabitofleaningforwardasheaddressedhisvariousaudiences。Hemightbefiftyyearsold，andwouldhavelookedyoungforhisage，hadnotconstantworkhardenedhisfeatures，andgivenhimtheappearanceofamachinewithamind。Hisfacewasfullofintellect，butdevoidofnaturalexpression。Youwouldsayhewasamantouse，andthenhavedonewith；amantobesoughtforongreatemergencies，butill-adaptedforordinaryservices；amanwhomyouwouldasktodefendyourproperty，buttowhomyouwouldbesorrytoconfideyourlove。Hewasbrightasadiamond，andascutting，andalsoasunimpressionable。 Hekneweveryonewhomtoknowwasanhonour，buthewaswithoutafriend；hewantednone，however，andknewnotthemeaningofthewordinotherthanitsparliamentarysense。Afriend！Hadhenotalwaysbeensufficienttohimself，andnow，atfifty，wasitlikelythatheshouldtrustanother？Hewasmarried，indeed，andhadchildren，butwhattimehadheforthesoftidlenessofconjugalfelicity？Hisworkingdaysortermtimeswereoccupiedfromhistimeofrisingtothelatehouratwhichhewenttorest，andevenhisvacationsweremorefulloflabourthanthebusiestdaysofothermen。Heneverquarrelledwithhiswife，buthenevertalkedtoher——heneverhadtimetotalk，hewassotakenupwithspeaking。She，poorlady，wasnotunhappy； shehadallthatmoneycouldgiveher，shewouldprobablylivetobeapeeress，andshereallythoughtSirAbrahamthebestofhusbands。 SirAbrahamwasamanofwit，andsparkledamongthebrightestatthedinner-tablesofpoliticalgrandees:indeed，healwayssparkled；whetherinsociety，intheHouseofCommons，orthecourtsoflaw，coruscationsflewfromhim；glitteringsparkles，asfromhotsteel，butnoheat；nocoldheartwasevercheeredbywarmthfromhim，nounhappysouleverdroppedaportionofitsburdenathisdoor。 Withhimsuccessalonewaspraiseworthy，andheknewnonesosuccessfulashimself。Noonehadthrusthimforward；nopowerfulfriendshadpushedhimalongonhisroadtopower。 No；hewasattorney-general，andwould，inallhumanprobability，belordchancellorbysheerdintofhisownindustryandhisowntalent。Whoelseinalltheworldrosesohighwithsolittlehelp？ Apremier，indeed！Whohadeverbeenpremierwithoutmightyfriends？Anarchbishop！Yes，thesonorgrandsonofagreatnoble，orelse，probably，histutor。Buthe，SirAbraham，hadhadnomightylordathisback；hisfatherhadbeenacountryapothecary，hismotherafarmer’sdaughter。Whyshouldherespectanybuthimself？Andsoheglittersalongthroughtheworld，thebrightestamongthebright；andwhenhisglitterisgone，andheisgatheredtohisfathers，noeyewillbedimwithatear，noheartwillmournforitslostfriend。 ’Andso，MrWarden，’saidSirAbraham，’allourtroubleaboutthislawsuitisatanend。’ MrHardingsaidhehopedso，buthedidn’tatallunderstandwhatSirAbrahammeant。SirAbraham，withallhissharpness，couldnothavelookedintohisheartandreadhisintentions。 ’Allover。Youneedtroubleyourselfnofurtheraboutit； ofcoursetheymustpaythecosts，andtheabsoluteexpensetoyouandDrGrantlywillbetrifling——thatis，comparedwithwhatitmighthavebeenifithadbeencontinued。’ ’IfearIdon’tquiteunderstandyou，SirAbraham。’ ’Don’tyouknowthattheirattorneyshavenoticedusthattheyhavewithdrawnthesuit？’ MrHardingexplainedtothelawyerthatheknewnothingofthis，althoughhehadheardinaroundaboutwaythatsuchanintentionhadbeentalkedof；andhealsoatlengthsucceededinmakingSirAbrahamunderstandthateventhisdidnotsatisfyhim。Theattorney-generalstoodup，puthishandsintohisbreeches’pockets，andraisedhiseyebrows，asMrHardingproceededtodetailthegrievancefromwhichhenowwishedtoridhimself。 ’IknowIhavenorighttotroubleyoupersonallywiththismatter，butasitisofmostvitalimportancetome，asallmyhappinessisconcernedinit，IthoughtImightventuretoseekyouradvice。’ SirAbrahambowed，anddeclaredhisclientswereentitledtothebestadvicehecouldgivethem；particularlyaclientsorespectableineverywayastheWardenofBarchesterHospital。 ’Aspokenword，SirAbraham，isoftenofmorevaluethanvolumesofwrittenadvice。Thetruthis，Iamill-satisfiedwiththismatterasitstandsatpresent。Idosee——Icannothelpseeing，thattheaffairsofthehospitalarenotarrangedaccordingtothewillofthefounder。’ ’Noneofsuchinstitutionsare，MrHarding，norcantheybe； thealteredcircumstancesinwhichwelivedonotadmitofit。’ ’Quitetrue——thatisquitetrue；butIcan’tseethatthosealteredcircumstancesgivemearighttoeighthundredayear。 Idon’tknowwhetherIeverreadJohnHiram’swill，butwereItoreaditnowIcouldnotunderstandit。WhatIwantyou，SirAbraham，totellme，isthis——amI，aswarden，legallyanddistinctlyentitledtotheproceedsoftheproperty，aftertheduemaintenanceofthetwelvebedesmen？’ SirAbrahamdeclaredthathecouldn’texactlysayinsomanywordsthatMrHardingwaslegallyentitledto，&c。，&c。，&c。，andendedinexpressingastrongopinionthatitwouldbemadnesstoraiseanyfurtherquestiononthematter，asthesuitwastobe——nay，was，abandoned。 MrHarding，seatedinhischair，begantoplayaslowtuneonanimaginaryvioloncello。 ’Nay，mydearsir，’continuedtheattorney-general，’thereisnofurthergroundforanyquestion；Idon’tseethatyouhavethepowerofraisingit。’ ’Icanresign，’saidMrHarding，slowlyplayingawaywithhisrighthand，asthoughthebowwerebeneaththechairinwhichhewassitting。 ’What！throwitupaltogether？’saidtheattorney-general，gazingwithutterastonishmentathisclient。 ’DidyouseethosearticlesinTheJupiter？’saidMrHarding，piteously，appealingtothesympathyofthelawyer。 SirAbrahamsaidhehadseenthem。Thispoorlittleclergyman，cowedintosuchanactofextremeweaknessbyanewspaperarticle，wastoSirAbrahamsocontemptibleanobject，thathehardlyknewhowtotalktohimastoarationalbeing。 ’Hadn’tyoubetterwait，’saidhe，’tillDrGrantlyisintownwithyou？Wouldn’titbebettertopostponeanyserioussteptillyoucanconsultwithhim？’ MrHardingdeclaredvehementlythathecouldnotwait，andSirAbrahambeganseriouslytodoubthissanity。 ’Ofcourse，’saidthelatter，’ifyouhaveprivatemeanssufficientforyourwants，andifthis——’ ’Ihaven’tasixpence，SirAbraham，’saidthewarden。 ’Godblessme！Why，MrHarding，howdoyoumeantolive？’ MrHardingproceededtoexplaintothemanoflawthathemeanttokeephisprecentorship——thatwaseightypoundsayear；and，also，thathemeanttofallbackuponhisownlittlelivingofCrabtree，whichwasanothereightypounds。 That，tobesure，thedutiesofthetwowerehardlycompatible；