第32章

butperhapshemighteffectanexchange。Andthen，recollectingthattheattorney-generalwouldhardlycaretohearhowtheserviceofacathedralchurchisdividedamongtheminorcanons，stoppedshortinhisexplanations。 SirAbrahamlistenedinpityingwonder。’Ireallythink，MrHarding，youhadbetterwaitforthearchdeacon。Thisisamostseriousstep——oneforwhich，inmyopinion，thereisnottheslightestnecessity；and，asyouhavedonemethehonourofaskingmyadvice，Imustimploreyoutodonothingwithouttheapprovalofyourfriends。Amanisneverthebestjudgeofhisownposition。’ ’Amanisthebestjudgeofwhathefeelshimself。I’dsoonerbegmybreadtillmydeaththanreadsuchanotherarticleasthosetwothathaveappeared，andfeel，asIdo，thatthewriterhastruthonhisside。’ ’Haveyounotadaughter，MrHarding——anunmarrieddaughter？’ ’Ihave，’saidhe，nowstandingalso，butstillplayingawayonhisfiddlewithhishandbehindhisback。’Ihave，SirAbraham；andsheandIarecompletelyagreedonthissubject。’ ’Prayexcuseme，MrHarding，ifwhatIsayseemsimpertinent； butsurelyitisyouthatshouldbeprudentonherbehalf。Sheisyoung，anddoesnotknowthemeaningoflivingonanincomeofahundredandsixtypoundsayear。Onheraccountgiveupthisidea。Believeme，itissheerQuixotism。’ Thewardenwalkedawaytothewindow，andthenbacktohischair；andthen，irresolutewhattosay，tookanotherturntothewindow。Theattorney-generalwasreallyextremelypatient，buthewasbeginningtothinkthattheinterviewhadbeenlongenough。 ’Butifthisincomebenotjustlymine，whatifsheandI havebothtobeg？’saidthewardenatlast，sharply，andinavoicesodifferentfromthathehadhithertoused，thatSirAbrahamwasstartled。’Ifso，itwouldbebettertobeg。’ ’Mydearsir，nobodynowquestionsitsjustness。’ ’Yes，SirAbraham，onedoesquestionit——themostimportantofallwitnessesagainstme——Iquestionitmyself。MyGodknowswhetherornoIlovemydaughter；butIwouldsoonerthatsheandIshouldbothbeg，thanthatsheshouldliveincomfortonmoneywhichistrulythepropertyofthepoor。 Itmayseemstrangetoyou，SirAbraham，itisstrangetomyself，thatIshouldhavebeentenyearsinthathappyhome，andnothavethoughtofthesethingstilltheyweresoroughlydinnedintomyears。Icannotboastofmyconscience，whenitrequiredtheviolenceofapublicnewspapertoawakenit；but，nowthatitisawake，Imustobeyit。WhenIcamehere，IdidnotknowthatthesuitwaswithdrawnbyMrBold，andmyobjectwastobegyoutoabandonmydefence。Asthereisnoaction，therecanbenodefence；butitis，atanyrate，aswellthatyoushouldknowthatfromtomorrowIshallceasetobethewardenofthehospital。MyfriendsandIdifferonthissubject，SirAbraham，andthataddsmuchtomysorrow；butitcannotbehelped。’And，ashefinishedwhathehadtosay，heplayedupsuchatuneasneverbeforehadgracedthechambersofanyattorney-general。Hewasstandingup，gallantlyfrontingSirAbraham，andhisrightarmpassedwithboldandrapidsweepsbeforehim，asthoughhewereembracingsomehugeinstrument，whichallowedhimtostandthuserect；andwiththefingersofhislefthandhestopped，withpreternaturalvelocity，amultitudeofstrings，whichrangedfromthetopofhiscollartothebottomofthelappetofhiscoat。SirAbrahamlistenedandlookedinwonder。 AshehadneverbeforeseenMrHarding，themeaningofthesewildgesticulationswaslostuponhim；butheperceivedthatthegentlemanwhohadafewminutessincebeensosubduedastobeunabletospeakwithouthesitation，wasnowimpassioned——nay，almostviolent。 ’You’llsleeponthis，MrHarding，andtomorrow——’ ’Ihavedonemorethansleepuponit，’saidthewarden； ’Ihavelainawakeuponit，andthatnightafternight。I foundIcouldnotsleepuponit:nowIhopetodoso。’ Theattorney-generalhadnoanswertomaketothis；soheexpressedaquiethopethatwhateversettlementwasfinallymadewouldbesatisfactory；andMrHardingwithdrew，thankingthegreatmanforhiskindattention。 MrHardingwassufficientlysatisfiedwiththeinterviewtofeelaglowofcomfortashedescendedintothesmalloldsquareofLincoln’sInn。Itwasacalm，bright，beautifulnight，andbythelightofthemoon，eventhechapelofLincoln’sInn，andthesombrerowofchambers，whichsurroundthequadrangle，lookedwell。Hestoodstillamomenttocollecthisthoughts，andreflectonwhathehaddone，andwasabouttodo。Heknewthattheattorney-generalregardedhimaslittlebetterthanafool，butthathedidnotmind；heandtheattorney- generalhadnotmuchincommonbetweenthem；heknewalsothatothers，whomhedidcareabout，wouldthinksotoo； butEleanor，hewassure，wouldexultinwhathehaddone，andthebishop，hetrusted，wouldsympathisewithhim。 Inthemeantimehehadtomeetthearchdeacon，andsohewalkedslowlydownChanceryLaneandalongFleetStreet，feelingsurethathisworkforthenightwasnotyetover。 Whenhereachedthehotelherangthebellquietly，andwithapalpitatingheart；healmostlongedtoescaperoundthecorner，anddelaythecomingstormbyafurtherwalkroundStPaul’sChurchyard，butheheardtheslowcreakingshoesoftheoldwaiterapproaching，andhestoodhisgroundmanfully。 TheWardenisVeryObstinate’DrGrantlyishere，sir，’greetedhisearsbeforethedoorwaswellopen，’andMrsGrantly。Theyhaveasitting-roomabove，andarewaitingupforyou。’ Therewassomethinginthetoneoftheman’svoicewhichseemedtoindicatethatevenhelookeduponthewardenasarunawayschoolboy，justrecapturedbyhisguardian，andthathepitiedtheculprit，thoughhecouldnotbutbehorrifiedatthecrime。 Thewardenendeavouredtoappearunconcerned，ashesaid，’Oh，indeed！I’llgoupstairsatonce’；buthefailedsignally。Therewas，perhaps，arayofcomfortinthepresenceofhismarrieddaughter；thatistosay，ofcomparativecomfort，seeingthathisson-in-lawwasthere；buthowmuchwouldhehavepreferredthattheyshouldbothhavebeensafeatPlumsteadEpiscopi！However，upstairshewent，thewaiterslowlyprecedinghim；andonthedoorbeingopenedthearchdeaconwasdiscoveredstandinginthemiddleoftheroom，erect，indeed，asusual，butoh！howsorrowful！andonthedingysofabehindhimreclinedhispatientwife。 ’Papa，Ithoughtyouwerenevercomingback，’saidthelady；’it’stwelveo’clock。’ ’Yes，mydear，’saidthewarden。’Theattorney-generalnamedtenformymeeting；tobesuretenislate，butwhatcouldIdo，youknow？Greatmenwillhavetheirownway。’ Andhegavehisdaughterakiss，andshookhandswiththedoctor，andagaintriedtolookunconcerned。 ’Andyouhaveabsolutelybeenwiththeattorney-general？’ askedthearchdeacon。 MrHardingsignifiedthathehad。 ’Goodheavens，howunfortunate！’Andthearchdeaconraisedhishugehandsinthemannerinwhichhisfriendsaresoaccustomedtoseehimexpressdisapprobationandastonishment。 ’WhatwillSirAbrahamthinkofit？Didyounotknowthatitisnotcustomaryforclientstogodirecttotheircounsel？’ ’Isn’tit？’askedthewarden，innocently。’Well，atanyrate，I’vedoneitnow。SirAbrahamdidn’tseemtothinkitsoverystrange。’ Thearchdeacongaveasighthatwouldhavemovedaman-of-war。 ’But，papa，whatdidyousaytoSirAbraham？’askedthelady。 ’Iaskedhim，mydear，toexplainJohnHiram’swilltome。 Hecouldn’texplainitintheonlywaywhichwouldhavesatisfiedme，andsoIresignedthewardenship。’ ’Resignedit！’saidthearchdeacon，inasolemnvoice，sadandlow，butyetsufficientlyaudible——asortofwhisperthatMacreadywouldhaveenvied，andthegallerieshaveapplaudedwithacoupleofrounds。’Resignedit！Goodheavens！’ Andthedignitaryofthechurchsankbackhorrifiedintoahorsehairarm-chair。 ’AtleastItoldSirAbrahamthatIwouldresign；andofcourseImustnowdoso。’ ’Notatall，’saidthearchdeacon，catchingarayofhope。 ’Nothingthatyousayinsuchawaytoyourowncounselcanbeinanywaybindingonyou；ofcourseyouweretheretoaskhisadvice。I’msureSirAbrahamdidnotadviseanysuchstep。’ MrHardingcouldnotsaythathehad。 ’Iamsurehedisadvisedyoufromit，’continuedthereverendcross-examiner。 MrHardingcouldnotdenythis。 ’I’msureSirAbrahammusthaveadvisedyoutoconsultyourfriends。’ TothispropositionalsoMrHardingwasobligedtoassent。 ’Thenyourthreatofresignationamountstonothing，andwearejustwherewewerebefore。’ MrHardingwasnowstandingontherug，movinguneasilyfromonefoottotheother。Hemadenodistinctanswertothearchdeacon’slastproposition，forhismindwaschieflyengagedonthinkinghowhecouldescapetobed。Thathisresignationwasathingfinallyfixedon，afactallbutcompleted，wasnotinhismindamatterofanydoubt；heknewhisownweakness；heknewhowpronehewastobeled；buthewasnotweakenoughtogivewaynow，togobackfromthepositiontowhichhisconsciencehaddrivenhim，afterhavingpurposelycometoLondontodeclarehisdetermination:hedidnotintheleastdoubthisresolution，buthegreatlydoubtedhispowerofdefendingitagainsthisson-in-law。