Ashegotonhishorse,whichhewasfaintodofeelinglikeadogturnedoutofakitchen,hewasagaingreetedbylittleSammy。
’Good-bye,MrBold;Ihopewemayhavethepleasureofseeingyouagainbeforelong;Iamsurepapawillalwaysbegladtoseeyou。’
ThatwascertainlythebitterestmomentinJohnBold’slife。
Noteventheremembranceofhissuccessfullovecouldcomforthim;nay,whenhethoughtofEleanorhefeltthatitwasthatverylovewhichhadbroughthimtosuchapass。Thatheshouldhavebeensoinsulted,andbeunabletoreply!Thatheshouldhavegivenupsomuchtotherequestofagirl,andthenhavehadhismotivessomisunderstood!Thatheshouldhavemadesogrossamistakeasthisvisitofhistothearchdeacon’s!
Hebitthetopofhiswhip,tillhepenetratedthehornofwhichitwasmade:hestruckthepooranimalinhisanger,andthenwasdoublyangrywithhimselfathisfutilepassion。Hehadbeensocompletelycheckmated,sopalpablyovercome!andwhatwashetodo?Hecouldnotcontinuehisactionafterpledginghimselftoabandonit;norwasthereanyrevengeinthat——itwastheverysteptowhichhisenemyhadendeavouredtogoadhim!
Hethrewthereinstotheservantwhocametotakehishorse,andrushedupstairsintohisdrawing-room,wherehissisterMarywassitting。
’Iftherebeadevil,’saidhe,’arealdevilhereonearth,itisDrGrantly。’Hevouchsafedhernofurtherintelligence,butagainseizinghishat,herushedout,andtookhisdepartureforLondonwithoutanotherwordtoanyone。
TheWarden’sDecisionThemeetingbetweenEleanorandherfatherwasnotsostormyasthatdescribedinthelastchapter,butitwashardlymoresuccessful。OnherreturnfromBold’shouseshefoundherfatherinastrangestate。Hewasnotsorrowfulandsilentashehadbeenonthatmemorabledaywhenhisson-in-lawlecturedhimastoallthatheowedtohisorder;norwasheinhisusualquietmood。WhenEleanorreachedthehospital,hewaswalkingtoandfrouponthelawn,andshesoonsawthathewasmuchexcited。
’IamgoingtoLondon,mydear,’hesaidassoonashesawher。
’London,papa!’
’Yes,mydear,toLondon;Iwillhavethismattersettledsomeway;therearesomethings,Eleanor,whichIcannotbear。’
’Oh,papa,whatisit?’saidshe,leadinghimbythearmintothehouse。’Ihadsuchgoodnewsforyou,andnowyoumakemefearIamtoolate。Andthen,beforehecouldletherknowwhathadcausedthissuddenresolve,orcouldpointtothefatalpaperwhichlayonthetable,shetoldhimthatthelawsuitwasover,thatBoldhadcommissionedhertoassureherfatherinhisnamethatitwouldbeabandoned,——thattherewasnofurthercauseformisery,thatthewholemattermightbelookedonasthoughithadneverbeendiscussed。Shedidnottellhimwithwhatdeterminedvehemenceshehadobtainedthisconcessioninhisfavour,nordidshementionthepriceshewastopayforit。
Thewardendidnotexpresshimselfpeculiarlygratifiedatthisintelligence,andEleanor,thoughshehadnotworkedforthanks,andwasbynomeansdisposedtomagnifyherowngoodoffices,felthurtatthemannerinwhichhernewswasreceived。
’MrBoldcanactashethinksproper,mylove,’saidhe;’ifMrBoldthinkshehasbeenwrong,ofcoursehewilldiscontinuewhatheisdoing;butthatcannotchangemypurpose。’
’Oh,papa!’sheexclaimed,allbutcryingwithvexation;
’Ithoughtyouwouldhavebeensohappy——Ithoughtallwouldhavebeenrightnow。’
’MrBold,’continuedhe,’hassetgreatpeopletowork——sogreatthatIdoubttheyarenowbeyondhiscontrol。Readthat,mydear。’Thewarden,doublingupanumberofTheJupiter,pointedtothepeculiararticlewhichshewastoread。
Itwastothelastofthethreeleaders,whicharegenerallyfurnisheddailyforthesupportofthenation,thatMrHardingdirectedherattention。Itdealtsomeheavyblowsonvariousclericaldelinquents;onfamilieswhoreceivedtheirtensofthousandsyearlyfordoingnothing;onmenwho,asthearticlestated,rolledinwealthwhichtheyhadneitherearnednorinherited,andwhichwasinfactstolenfromthepoorerclergy。Itnamedsomesonsofbishops,andgrandsonsofarchbishops;mengreatintheirway,whohadredeemedtheirdisgraceintheeyesofmanybytheenormityoftheirplunder;
andthen,havingdisposedoftheseleviathans,itdescendedtoMrHarding。
’Wealludedsomeweekssincetoaninstanceofsimilarinjustice,thoughinamorehumblescale,inwhichthewardenofanalmshouseatBarchesterhasbecomepossessedoftheincomeofthegreaterpartofthewholeinstitution。Whyanalmshouseshouldhaveawardenwecannotpretendtoexplain,norcanwesaywhatspecialneedtwelveoldmencanhavefortheservicesofaseparateclergyman,seeingthattheyhavetwelvereservedseatsforthemselvesinBarchesterCathedral。
Butbethisasitmay,letthegentlemancallhimselfwardenorprecentor,orwhathewill,lethimbeneversoscrupulousinexactingreligiousdutiesfromhistwelvedependents,orneversonegligentasregardstheservicesofthecathedral,itappearspalpablyclearthathecanbeentitledtonoportionoftherevenueofthehospital,exceptingthatwhichthefoundersetapartforhim;anditisequallyclearthatthefounderdidnotintendthatthree-fifthsofhischarityshouldbesoconsumed。
’Thecaseiscertainlyapaltryoneafterthetensofthousandswithwhichwehavebeendealing,forthewarden’sincomeisafterallbutapooreighthundredayear:eighthundredayearisnotmagnificentprefermentofitself,andthewardenmay,foranythingweknow,beworthmuchmoretothechurch;butifso,letthechurchpayhimoutoffundsjustlyatitsowndisposal。
’WealludetothequestionoftheBarchesteralmshouseatthepresentmoment,becauseweunderstandthatapleahasbeensetupwhichwillbepeculiarlyrevoltingtothemindsofEnglishchurchmen。AnactionhasbeentakenagainstMrWardenHarding,onbehalfofthealmsmen,byagentlemanactingsolelyonpublicgrounds,anditistobearguedthatMrHardingtakesnothingbutwhathereceivedasaservantofthehospital,andthatheisnothimselfresponsiblefortheamountofstipendgiventohimforhiswork。Suchapleawoulddoubtlessbefair,ifanyonequestionedthedailywagesofabricklayeremployedonthebuilding,orthefeeofthecharwomanwhocleansit;butwecannotenvythefeelingofaclergymanoftheChurchofEnglandwhocouldallowsuchanargumenttobeputinhismouth。
’IfthispleabeputforwardwetrustMrHardingwillbeforcedasawitnesstostatethenatureofhisemployment;theamountofworkthathedoes;theincomewhichhereceives;
andthesourcefromwhenceheobtainedhisappointment。
Wedonotthinkhewillreceivemuchpublicsympathytoatonefortheannoyanceofsuchanexamination。’
AsEleanorreadthearticleherfaceflushedwithindignation,andwhenshehadfinishedit,shealmostfearedtolookupatherfather。
’Well,mydear,’saidhe,’whatdoyouthinkofthat——isitworthwhiletobeawardenatthatprice?’
’Oh,papa;——dearpapa!’
’MrBoldcan’tun-writethat,mydear——MrBoldcan’tsaythatthatsha’n’tbereadbyeveryclergymanatOxford;nay,byeverygentlemanintheland’:andthenhewalkedupanddowntheroom,whileEleanorinmutedespairfollowedhimwithhereyes。’AndI’lltellyouwhat,mydear,’hecontinued,speakingnowverycalmly,andinaforcedmannerveryunlikehimself;’MrBoldcan’tdisputethetruthofeverywordinthatarticleyouhavejustread——norcanI。’Eleanorstaredathim,asthoughshescarcelyunderstoodthewordshewasspeaking。’NorcanI,Eleanor:that’stheworstofall,orwouldbesoiftherewerenoremedy。Ihavethoughtmuchofallthissinceweweretogetherlastnight’;andhecameandsatbesideher,andputhisarmroundherwaistashehaddonethen。’Ihavethoughtmuchofwhatthearchdeaconhassaid,andofwhatthispapersays;andIdobelieveIhavenorighttobehere。’
’Norighttobewardenofthehospital,papa?’
’Norighttobewardenwitheighthundredayear;norighttobewardenwithsuchahouseasthis;norighttospendinluxurymoneythatwasintendedforcharity。MrBoldmaydoashepleasesabouthissuit,butIhopehewillnotabandonitformysake。’
PoorEleanor!thiswasharduponher。Wasitforthisshehadmadehergreatresolve!Forthisthatshehadlaidasideherquietdemeanour,andtakenuponhertherantsofatragedyheroine!Onemayworkandnotforthanks,butyetfeelhurtatnotreceivingthem;andsoitwaswithEleanor:
onemaybedisinterestedinone’sgoodactions,andyetfeeldiscontentedthattheyarenotrecognised。Charitymaybegivenwiththelefthandsoprivilythattherighthanddoesnotknowit,andyetthelefthandmayregrettofeelthatithasnoimmediatereward。Eleanorhadhadnowishtoburdenherfatherwithaweightofobligation,andyetshehadlookedforwardtomuchdelightfromtheknowledgethatshehadfreedhimfromhissorrows:nowsuchhopeswereentirelyover:
allthatshehaddonewasofnoavail;shehadhumbledherselftoBoldinvain;theevilwasutterlybeyondherpowertocure!
Shehadthoughtalsohowgentlyshewouldwhispertoherfatherallthatherloverhadsaidtoheraboutherself,andhowimpossibleshehadfoundittorejecthim:andthenshehadanticipatedherfather’skindlykissandcloseembraceashegavehissanctiontoherlove。Alas!shecouldsaynothingofthisnow。InspeakingofMrBold,herfatherputhimasideasonewhosethoughtsandsayingsandactscouldbeofnomoment。Gentlereader,didyoueverfeelyourselfsnubbed?
Didyouever,whenthinkingmuchofyourownimportance,findyourselfsuddenlyreducedtoanonentity?SuchwasEleanor’sfeelingnow。
’Theyshallnotputforwardthispleaonmybehalf,’continuedthewarden。’Whatevermaybethetruthofthematter,thatatanyrateisnottrue;andthemanwhowrotethatarticleisrightinsayingthatsuchapleaisrevoltingtoanhonestmind。IwillgouptoLondon,mydear,andseetheselawyersmyself,andifnobetterexcusecanbemadeformethanthat,Iandthehospitalwillpart。’