第35章

Havingwrittentheselettersandmadeacopyoftheformeroneforthebenefitofthearchdeacon，MrHarding，whomwemustnowceasetocallthewarden，hehavingdesignatedhimselfsoforthelasttime，foundthatitwasnearlytwoo’clock，andthathemustprepareforhisjourney。Yes，fromthistimeheneveragainadmittedthenamebywhichhehadbeensofamiliarlyknown，andinwhich，totellthetruth，hehadrejoiced。Theloveoftitlesiscommontoallmen，andavicarorfellowisaspleasedatbecomingMrArchdeaconorMrProvost，asalieutenantatgettinghiscaptaincy，oracitytallow-chandlerinbecomingSirJohnontheoccasionofaQueen’svisittoanewbridge。Butwardenhewasnolonger，andthenameofprecentor，thoughtheofficewastohimsodear，confersinitselfnosufficientdistinction；ourfriend，therefore，againbecameMrHarding。 MrsGrantlyhadgoneout；hehad，therefore，noonetodelayhimbyfurtherentreatiestopostponehisjourney；hehadsoonarrangedhisbag，andpaidhisbill，and，leavinganoteforhisdaughter，inwhichheputthecopyofhisofficialletter，hegotintoacabanddroveawaytothestationwithsomethingoftriumphinhisheart。 Hadhenotcausefortriumph？Hadhenotbeensupremelysuccessful？Hadhenotforthefirsttimeinhislifeheldhisownpurposeagainstthatofhisson-in-law，andmanfullycombatedagainstgreatodds——againstthearchdeacon’swifeaswellasthearchdeacon？Hadhenotgainedagreatvictory，andwasitnotfitthatheshouldstepintohiscabwithtriumph？ HehadnottoldEleanorwhenhewouldreturn，butshewasonthelook-outforhimbyeverytrainbywhichhecouldarrive，andthepony-carriagewasattheBarchesterstationwhenthetraindrewupattheplatform。 ’Mydear，’saidhe，sittingbesideher，asshesteeredherlittlevesseltoonesideoftheroadtomakeroomfortheclatteringomnibusastheypassedfromthestationintothetown，’Ihopeyou’llbeabletofeelaproperdegreeofrespectforthevicarofCrabtree。’ ’Dearpapa，’saidshe，’Iamsoglad。’ Therewasgreatcomfortinreturninghometothatpleasanthouse，thoughhewastoleaveitsosoon，andindiscussingwithhisdaughterallthathehaddone，andallthathehadtodo。 Itmusttakesometimetogetoutofonehouseintoanother； thecurateatCrabtreecouldnotbeabolishedundersixmonths，thatis，unlessotherprovisioncouldbemadeforhim； andthenthefurniture——themostofthatmustbesoldtopaySirAbrahamHaphazardforsittinguptilltwelveatnight。 MrHardingwasstrangelyignorantastolawyers’bills；hehadnoidea，fromtwentypoundstotwothousand，astothesuminwhichhewasindebtedforlegalassistance。True，hehadcalledinnolawyerhimself；true，hehadbeennoconsentingpartytotheemploymentofeitherCoxandCummins，orSirAbraham；hehadneverbeenconsultedonsuchmatters；——thearchdeaconhadmanagedallthishimself，neverforamomentsuspectingthatMrHardingwouldtakeuponhimtoendthematterinawayofhisown。Hadthelawyers’ billsbeententhousandpounds，MrHardingcouldnothavehelpedit；buthewasnotonthataccountdisposedtodisputehisownliability。Thequestionneveroccurredtohim；butitdidoccurtohimthathehadverylittlemoneyathisbanker’s，thathecouldreceivenothingfurtherfromthehospital，andthatthesaleofthefurniturewashisonlyresource。 ’Notall，papa，’saidEleanorpleadingly。 ’Notquiteall，mydear，’saidhe；’thatis，ifwecanhelpit。 WemusthavealittleatCrabtree——butitcanonlybealittle； wemustputaboldfrontonit，Nelly；itisn’teasytocomedownfromaffluencetopoverty。’ Andsotheyplannedtheirfuturemodeoflife；thefathertakingcomfortfromthereflectionthathisdaughterwouldsoonbefreedfromit，andsheresolvingthatherfatherwouldsoonhaveinherownhouseareadymeansofescapefromthesolitudeoftheCrabtreevicarage。 Whenthearchdeaconlefthiswifeandfather-in-lawattheChapterCoffeeHousetogotoMessrsCoxandCummins，hehadnoverydefinedideaofwhathehadtodowhenhegotthere。Gentlemenwhenatlaw，orinanywayengagedinmattersrequiringlegalassistance，areveryapttogototheirlawyerswithoutmuchabsolutenecessity；——gentlemenwhendoingso，areapttodescribesuchattendanceasquitecompulsory，andverydisagreeable。Thelawyers，ontheotherhand，donotatallseethenecessity，thoughtheyquiteagreeastothedisagreeablenatureofthevisit；——gentlemenwhensoengagedareusuallysomewhatgravelledatfindingnothingtosaytotheirlearnedfriends；theygenerallytalkalittlepolitics，alittleweather，asksomefewfoolishquestionsabouttheirsuit，andthenwithdraw，havingpassedhalfanhourinasmalldingywaiting-room，incompanywithsomejuniorassistant- clerk，andtenminuteswiththemembersofthefirm；thebusinessisthenoverforwhichthegentlemanhascomeuptoLondon，probablyadistanceofahundredandfiftymiles。 Tobesurehegoestotheplay，anddinesathisfriend’sclub，andhasabachelor’slibertyandbachelor’srecreationforthreeorfourdays；andhecouldnotprobablypleadthedesireofsuchgratificationsasareasontohiswifeforatriptoLondon。 Marriedladies，whenyourhusbandsfindtheyarepositivelyobligedtoattendtheirlegaladvisers，thenatureofthedutytobeperformedisgenerallyofthisdescription。 ThearchdeaconwouldnothavedreamtofleavingLondonwithoutgoingtoCoxandCummins；andyethehadnothingtosaytothem。Thegamewasup；heplainlysawthatMrHardinginthismatterwasnottobemoved；hisonlyremainingbusinessonthisheadwastopaythebillandhavedonewithit；andIthinkitmaybetakenforgranted，thatwhateverthecausemaybethattakesagentlemantoalawyer’schambers，henevergoestheretopayhisbill。 DrGrantly，however，intheeyesofMessrsCoxandCummins，representedthespiritualitiesofthedioceseofBarchester，asMrChadwickdidthetemporalities，andwas，therefore，toogreatamantoundergothehalf-hourintheclerk’sroom。ItwillnotbenecessarythatweshouldlistentothenotesofsorrowinwhichthearchdeaconbewailedtoMrCoxtheweaknessofhisfather-in-law，andtheendofalltheirhopesoftriumph；norneedwerepeatthevariousexclamationsofsurprisewithwhichthemournfulintelligencewasreceived。 Notragedyoccurred，thoughMrCox，ashortandsomewhatbull-neckedman，wasverynearafitofapoplexywhenhefirstattemptedtoejaculatethatfatalword——resign！ OverandoveragaindidMrCoxattempttoenforceonthearchdeacontheproprietyofurgingonMrWardenthemadnessofthedeedhewasabouttodo。 ’Eighthundredayear！’saidMrCox。 ’Andnothingwhatevertodo！’saidMrCummins，whohadjoinedtheconference。 ’Noprivatefortune，Ibelieve，’saidMrCox。 ’Notashilling，’saidMrCummins，inaverylowvoice，shakinghishead。 ’Ineverheardofsuchacaseinallmyexperience，’saidMrCox。 ’Eighthundredayear，andasniceahouseasanygentlemancouldwishtohanguphishatin，’saidMrCummins。 ’Andanunmarrieddaughter，Ibelieve，’saidMrCox，withmuchmoralseriousnessinhistone。Thearchdeacononlysighedaseachseparatewailwasuttered，andshookhishead，signifyingthatthefatuityofsomepeoplewaspastbelief。 ’I’lltellyouwhathemightdo，’saidMrCummins，brighteningup。’I’lltellyouhowyoumightsaveit——lethimexchange。’ ’Exchangewhere？’saidthearchdeacon。 ’Exchangeforaliving。There’sQuiverful，ofPuddingdale——hehastwelvechildren，andwouldbedelightedtogetthehospital。TobesurePuddingdaleisonlyfourhundred，butthatwouldbesavingsomethingoutofthefire:MrHardingwouldhaveacurate，andstillkeepthreehundredorthreehundredandfifty。’ Thearchdeaconopenedhisearsandlistened；hereallythoughttheschememightdo。 ’Thenewspapers，’continuedMrCummins，’mighthammerawayatQuiverfuleverydayforthenextsixmonthswithouthismindingthem。’ Thearchdeacontookuphishat，andreturnedtohishotel，thinkingthematteroverdeeply。AtanyratehewouldsoundQuiverful。Amanwithtwelvechildrenwoulddomuchtodoublehisincome。 FarewellOnthemorningafterMrHarding’sreturnhomehereceivedanotefromthebishopfullofaffection，condolence，andpraise。’Praycometomeatonce，’wrotethebishop，’thatwemayseewhathadbetterbedone；astothehospital，Iwillnotsayawordtodissuadeyou；butIdon’tlikeyourgoingtoCrabtree:atanyrate，cometomeatonce。’ MrHardingdidgotohimatonce；andlongandconfidentialwastheconsultationbetweenthetwooldfriends。Theretheysattogetherthewholelongday，plottingtogetthebetterofthearchdeacon，andtocarryoutlittleschemesoftheirown，whichtheyknewwouldbeopposedbythewholeweightofhisauthority。 Thebishop’sfirstideawas，thatMrHarding，iflefttohimself，wouldcertainlystarve——notinthefigurativesenseinwhichsomanyofourladiesandgentlemendostarveonincomesfromonetofivehundredayear；notthathewouldbestarvedasregardeddresscoats，portwine，andpocket-money；butthathewouldpositivelyperishofinanitionforwantofbread。 ’Howisamantolive，whenhegivesupallhisincome？’ saidthebishoptohimself。Andthenthegood-naturedlittlemanbegantoconsiderhowhisfriendmightbebestrescuedfromadeathsohorridandpainful。 HisfirstpropositiontoMrHardingwas，thattheyshouldlivetogetheratthepalace。He，thebishop，positivelyassuredMrHardingthathewantedanotherresidentchaplain——notayoungworkingchaplain，butasteady，middle-agedchaplain；