第33章

’Youmustbeverytired，Susan，’saidhe:’wouldn’tyouliketogotobed？’ ButSusandidn’twanttogotillherhusbandwent——Shehadanideathatherpapamightbebulliedifshewereaway: shewasn’ttiredatall，oratleastshesaidso。 Thearchdeaconwaspacingtheroom，expressing，bycertainnoddlesofhishead，hisopinionoftheutterfatuityofhisfather-in-law。 ’Why，’atlasthesaid——andangelsmighthaveblushedattherebukeexpressedinhistoneandemphasis——’WhydidyougoofffromBarchestersosuddenly？Whydidyoutakesuchastepwithoutgivingusnotice，afterwhathadpassedatthepalace？’ Thewardenhunghishead，andmadenoreply:hecouldnotcondescendtosaythathehadnotintendedtogivehisson-in-lawtheslip；andashehadnotthecouragetoavowit，hesaidnothing。 ’Papahasbeentoomuchforyou，’saidthelady。 Thearchdeacontookanotherturn，andagainejaculated，’Goodheavens！’thistimeinaverylowwhisper，butstillaudible。 ’IthinkI’llgotobed，’saidthewarden，takingupasidecandle。 ’Atanyrate，you’llpromisemetotakenofurtherstepwithoutconsultation，’saidthearchdeacon。MrHardingmadenoanswer，butslowlyproceededtolighthiscandle。 ’Ofcourse，’continuedtheother，’suchadeclarationasthatyoumadetoSirAbrahammeansnothing。Come，warden，promisemethis。Thewholeaffair，yousee，isalreadysettled，andthatwithverylittletroubleorexpense。Boldhasbeencompelledtoabandonhisaction，andallyouhavetodoistoremainquietatthehospital。’MrHardingstillmadenoreply，butlookedmeeklyintohisson-in-law’sface。Thearchdeaconthoughtheknewhisfather-in-law，buthewasmistaken；hethoughtthathehadalreadytalkedoveravacillatingmantoresignhispromise。’Come，’saidhe，’promiseSusantogiveupthisideaofresigningthewardenship。’ Thewardenlookedathisdaughter，thinkingprobablyatthemomentthatifEleanorwerecontentedwithhim，heneednotsomuchregardhisotherchild，andsaid，’IamsureSusanwillnotaskmetobreakmyword，ortodowhatIknowtobewrong。’ ’Papa，’saidshe，’itwouldbemadnessinyoutothrowupyourpreferment。Whatareyoutoliveon？’ ’God，thatfeedstheyoungravens，willtakecareofmealso，’saidMrHarding，withasmile，asthoughafraidofgivingoffencebymakinghisreferencetoscripturetoosolemn。 ’Pish！’saidthearchdeacon，turningawayrapidly。’Iftheravenspersistedinrefusingthefoodpreparedforthem，theywouldn’tbefed。’Aclergymangenerallydislikestobemetinargumentbyanyscripturalquotation；hefeelsasaffrontedasadoctordoes，whenrecommendedbyanoldwomantotakesomefavouritedose，orasalawyerwhenanunprofessionalmanattemptstoputhimdownbyaquibble。 ’IshallhavethelivingofCrabtree，’modestlysuggestedthewarden。 ’Eightypoundsayear！’sneeredthearchdeacon。 ’Andtheprecentorship，’saidthefather-in-law。 ’Itgoeswiththewardenship，’saidtheson-in-law。MrHardingwaspreparedtoarguethispoint，andbegantodoso，butDrGrantlystoppedhim。’Mydearwarden，’saidhe，’thisisallnonsense。Eightypoundsorahundredandsixtymakesverylittledifference。Youcan’tliveonit——youcan’truinEleanor’sprospectsforever。Inpointoffact，youcan’tresign；thebishopwouldn’tacceptit；thewholethingissettled。WhatInowwanttodoistopreventanyinconvenienttittle-tattle——anymorenewspaperarticles。’ ’That’swhatIwant，too，’saidthewarden。 ’Andtopreventthat，’continuedtheother，’wemustn’tletanytalkofresignationgetabroad。’ ’ButIshallresign，’saidthewarden，very，verymeekly。 ’Goodheavens！Susan，mydear，whatcanIsaytohim？’ ’But，papa，’saidMrsGrantly，gettingup，andputtingherarmthroughthatofherfather，’whatisEleanortodoifyouthrowawayyourincome？’ Ahottearstoodineachofthewarden’seyesashelookedrounduponhismarrieddaughter。Whyshouldonesisterwhowassorichpredictpovertyforanother？Somesuchideaasthiswasonhismind，buthegavenoutterancetoit。Thenhethoughtofthepelicanfeedingitsyoungwithbloodfromitsownbreast，buthegavenoutterancetothateither；andthenofEleanorwaitingforhimathome，waitingtocongratulatehimontheendofallhistrouble。 ’ThinkofEleanor，papa，’saidMrsGrantly。 ’Idothinkofher，’saidherfather。 ’Andyouwillnotdothisrashthing？’Theladywasreallymovedbeyondherusualcalmcomposure。 ’Itcanneverberashtodoright，’saidhe。’Ishallcertainlyresignthiswardenship。’ ’Then，MrHarding，thereisnothingbeforeyoubutruin，’ saidthearchdeacon，nowmovedbeyondallendurance。’RuinbothforyouandEleanor。Howdoyoumeantopaythemonstrousexpensesofthisaction？’ MrsGrantlysuggestedthat，astheactionwasabandoned，thecostswouldnotbeheavy。 ’Indeedtheywill，mydear，’continuedhe。’Onecannothavetheattorney-generalupattwelveo’clockatnightfornothing——butofcourseyourfatherhasnotthoughtofthis。’ ’Iwillsellmyfurniture，’saidthewarden。 ’Furniture！’ejaculatedtheother，withamostpowerfulsneer。 Come，archdeacon，’saidthelady，’weneedn’tmindthatatpresent。Youknowyouneverexpectedpapatopaythecosts。’ ’Suchabsurdityisenoughtoprovokejob，’saidthearchdeacon，marchingquicklyupanddowntheroom。’Yourfatherislikeachild。Eighthundredpoundsayear！——eighthundredandeightywiththehouse——withnothingtodo。Theveryplaceforhim。Andtothrowthatupbecausesomescoundrelwritesanarticleinanewspaper！Well——Ihavedonemyduty。IfhechoosestoruinhischildIcannothelpit’；andhestoodstillatthefire-place，andlookedathimselfinadingymirrorwhichstoodonthechimney-piece。 Therewasapauseforaboutaminute，andthenthewarden，findingthatnothingelsewascoming，lightedhiscandle，andquietlysaid，’Good-night。’ ’Good-night，papa，’saidthelady。 Andsothewardenretired；but，asheclosedthedoorbehindhim，heheardthewell-knownejaculation——slower，lower，moresolemn，moreponderousthanever——’Goodheavens！’ TheWardenResignsThepartymetthenextmorningatbreakfast；andaverysombreaffairitwas——veryunlikethebreakfastsatPlumsteadEpiscopi。 Therewerethreethin，small，drybitsofbacon，eachaninchlong，servedupunderahugeoldplatedcover；therewerefourthree-corneredbitsofdrytoast，andfoursquarebitsofbutteredtoast；therewasaloafofbread，andsomeoily- lookingbutter；andonthesideboardthereweretheremainsofacoldshoulderofmutton。Thearchdeacon，however，hadnotcomeupfromhisrectorytoStPaul’sChurchyardtoenjoyhimselfandthereforenothingwassaidofthescantyfare。 Theguestswereassorryastheviands——hardlyanythingwassaidoverthebreakfast-table。Thearchdeaconmunchedhistoastinominoussilence，turningoverbitterthoughtsinhisdeepmind。Thewardentriedtotalktohisdaughter，andshetriedtoanswerhim；buttheybothfailed。Therewerenofeelingsatpresentincommonbetweenthem。ThewardenwasthinkingonlyofgettingbacktoBarchester，andcalculatingwhetherthearchdeaconwouldexpecthimtowaitforhim； andMrsGrantlywaspreparingherselfforagrandattackwhichshewastomakeonherfather，asagreeduponbetweenherselfandherhusbandduringtheircurtainconfabulationofthatmorning。 Whenthewaiterhadcreakedoutoftheroomwiththelastoftheteacups，thearchdeacongotupandwenttothewindowasthoughtoadmiretheview。TheroomlookedoutonanarrowpassagewhichrunsfromStPaul’sChurchyardtoPaternosterRow；andDrGrantlypatientlyperusedthenamesofthethreeshopkeeperswhosedoorswereinview。 Thewardenstillkepthisseatatthetable，andexaminedthepatternofthetablecloth；andMrsGrantly，seatingherselfonthesofa，begantoknit。 AfterawhilethewardenpulledhisBradshawoutofhispocket，andbeganlaboriouslytoconsultit。TherewasatrainforBarchesterat10A。M。Thatwasoutofthequestion，foritwasnearlytenalready。Anotherat3P。M。；another，thenight-mailtrain，at9P。M。Thethreeo’clocktrainwouldtakehimhometotea，andwouldsuitverywell。 ’Mydear，’saidhe，’IthinkIshallgobackhomeatthreeo’clocktoday。Ishallgethomeathalf-pasteight。Idon’tthinkthere’sanythingtokeepmeinLondon。’ ’ThearchdeaconandIreturnbytheearlytraintomorrow，papa；won’tyouwaitandgobackwithus？’ ’Why，Eleanorwillexpectmetonight；andI’vesomuchtodo；and——’ ’Muchtodo！’saidthearchdeaconsottovoce；butthewardenheardhim。 ’You’dbetterwaitforus，papa。’ ’Thankye，mydear！IthinkI’llgothisafternoon。’Thetamestanimalwillturnwhendriventoohard，andevenMrHardingwasbeginningtofightforhisownway。