’Youcan’thaveabettermanthanMrMason，upthestreetthere。’
’WinthropproposedBorleysatBarchester。’
’No，no，no。BorleysandBonstockarecapitalpeopletopushafellowthroughonachargeofhorse—stealing，ortosqueezeamanforalittlemoney；buttheyarenotthepeopleforMrCrawleyinsuchacaseasthis。Masonisthebetterman；andthenMasonandIknoweachother。’InsayingwhichMrWalkerwinked。
TherewasthenadiscussionbetweenthemwhetherMrRobartsshouldgoatoncetoMrMason；butitwasdecidedatlastthatheshouldseeMrCrawleyandalsowritetothedeanbeforehisdidso。Thedeanmightwishtoemployhisownlawyer，andifsothedoubleexpenseshouldbeavoided。’Alwaysremember，MrRobarts，thatwhenyougointoanattorney’sofficedoor，youwillhavetopayforit，firstorlast。Inhere，yousee，thedingyoldmahogany，bareasitis，makesyousafe。Orelseit’sthesalt—cellar，whichwillnotallowitselftobepollutedbysix—and—eightpennyconsiderations。Butthereistheotherkindoftaxtobepaid。YoumustgoupandseeMrsWalker，oryouwon’tgetherhelpinthematter。’
MrWalkerreturnedtohiswork，eithertosomeprivatedenwithinhishouse，ortohisoffice，andMrRobartswastakenupstairstothedrawing—room。TherehefoundMrsWalkerandherdaughter，andMissAnnePrettyman，whohadjustlookedin，fullofthestoryofMrCrawley’swalktoBarchester。MrThumblehadseenoneofDrTempest’scurates，andhadtoldthewholestory——he，MrThumble，havingheardMrsProudie’sversionofwhathadoccurred，andhaving，ofcourse，drawnhisowndeductionsfromherpremises。AnditseemedthatMrCrawleyhadbeenwatchedashepassedthroughthecloseoutofBarchester。Aminorcanonhadseenhim，andhaddeclaredthathewasgoingattherateofahunt，swinginghisarmsonhighandspeakingveryloud，though——astheminorcanonsaidwithregret——thewordswerehardlyaudible。Buttherehadbeennodoubtastotheman。MrCrawley’soldhat，andshortrustycloak，anddirtyboots，hadbeendulyobservedandchronicledbytheminorcanon；andMrThumblehadbeenenabledtoputtogetheranotaltogetherfalsepictureofwhathadoccurred。AssoonasthegreetingsbetweenMrRobartsandtheladieshadbeenmade，MissAnnePrettymanbrokeoutagain，justwhereshehadleftoffwhenMrRobartscamein。
’TheysaythatMrsProudiedeclaredthatshewillhavehimsenttoBotanyBay！’
’LuckilyMrsProudiewon’thavemuchtodointhematter，’saidMissWalker，whorangedherself，astochurchmatters，intheranksaltogetheropposedtothosecommandedbyMrsProudie。
’Shewillhavenothingtodowithit，mydear，’saidMrsWalker；’andI
daresayMrsProudiewasnotfoolishenoughtosayanythingofthekind。’
’Mamma，shewouldbefoolishenoughtosayanything。WouldshenotMrRobarts？’
’Youforget，MissWalker，thatMrsProudieisinauthorityoverme。’
’Sosheis，forthematterofthat，’saidtheyounglady；’butIknowverywellwhatyouallthinkofher，andsayofhertoo，atFramley。
Yourfriend，LadyLufton，lovesherdearly。IwishIcouldhavebeenbehindacurtaininthepalace，tohearwhatMrCrawleysaidtoher。’
’MrSmiliedeclares，’saidMissPrettyman，’thatthebishophasbeenilleversince。MrSmiliewentovertohismother’satBarchesterforChristmas，andtookpartofthecathedralduty，andwehadMrSpooneroverherinhisplace。SoMrSmilieofcourseheardallaboutit。Onlyfancy，poorMrCrawleywalkingallthewayfromHogglestocktoBarchesterandback；——andIamtoldhehardlyhadashoetohisfoot！Isitnotashame，MrRobarts？’
’Idon’tthinkitwasquiteasbadasyousay，MissPrettyman；but，uponthewhole，Idothinkitisashame。Butwhatcanwedo？’
’IsupposetherearetithesatHogglestock？Whyaretheynotgivenuptothechurch，astheyoughttobe？’
’Mydear，MissPrettyman，thatisaverylongsubject，andIamafraiditcannotbesettledintimetorelieveourpoorfriendfromhisdistress。’ThenMrRobartsescapedfromtheladiesinMrWalker’shouse，who，asitseemedtohim，weretouchingupondangerousground，andwentbacktotheyardoftheGeorgeInnforhisgig——theGeorgeandVultureitwasproperlycalled，andwasthehouseinwhichthemagistrateshadsatwhentheycommittedMrCrawleyfortrial。
’Footediteveryinchoftheway，blowedifhedidn’t，’theostlerwassayingtoagentleman’sgroom，whomMrRobartsrecognisedtobetheservantofhisfriendMajorGrantly；andMrRobartsknewthattheyalsoweretalkingaboutMrCrawley。EverybodyinthecountywastalkingaboutMrCrawley。Athome，atFramley，therewasnoothersubjectofdiscourse。LadyLufton，thedowager，wasfullofit，beingfirmlyconvincedthatMrCrawleywasinnocent，becausethebishopwassupposedtoregardhimasguilty。TherehadbeenafamilyconclaveheldatFramleyCourtoverthatbaskedofprovisionswhichhadbeensentfortheChristmascheeroftheHogglestockparsonage，eachofthethreeladies，thetwoLadyLuftonsandMrsRobarts，havingspecialviewsoftheirown。
HowtheporkhadbeensubstitutedforthebeefbyoldLadyLufton，youngLadyLuftonthinkingthatafterallthebeefmightbedangerous，andhowasmallturkeyhadbeenrashlysuggestedbyMrsRobarts，andhowcertainsmallarticleshadbeeninsertedinthebottomofthebasketwhichMrsCrawleyhadnevershowntoherhusband，neednotherebetoldatlength。
ButMrRobarts，asheheardthetwogroomstalkingaboutMrCrawley，beganthatMrCrawleyhadachievedatleastcelebrity。
ThegroomtouchedhishatasMrRobartswalkedup。’Hasthemajorreturnedhomeyet？’MrRobartsasked。ThegroomsaidthathismasterwasstillatPlumstead，andthathewastogoovertofetchthemajorandMissEdithinadayortwo。ThenMrRobartsgotintohisgig，andashedroveoutoftheyardheheardthewordsofthemenastheyreturnedtothesamesubject。’Footeditalltheway，’saidone。’Andyethe’sagen’leman，too，’saidtheother。MrRobartsthoughtofthisashedroveon，intendingtocallatHogglestockonthatverydayonhiswayhome。
ItwasundoubtedlythefactthatMrCrawleywasrecognisedtobeagentlemanbyallwhoknewhim，highorlow，richorpoor，bythosewhothoughtwellofhimandbythosewhothoughtill。Thesegrooms，whohadbeentellingeachotherthatthisparson，whowastobetriedasathief，hadbeenconstrainedtowalkfromHogglestocktoBarchesterandback，becausehecouldnotaffordtotravelanyotherway，andthathisbootswerecrackedandhisclothesragged，hadstillknownhimtobeagentleman！Nobodydoubtedit；noteventheywhothoughthehadstolenthemoney。MrRobartshimselfwascertainofit，andtoldhimselfthatheknewitbytheevidenceswhichhisowneducationmadecleartohim。
Buthowwasitthatthegroomsknewit？FormypartIthinkthattherearenobetterjudgesofthearticlethanthegrooms。
Thinkingofallwhichhehadheard，MrRobartsfoundhimselfatMrCrawley’sgateatHogglestock。
CHAPTERXXI
MRROBARTSONHISEMBASSY
MrRobartswasnotaltogethereasyinhismindasheapproachedMrCrawley’shouse。Hewasawarethatthetaskbeforehimwasaverydifficultone，andhehadnotconfidenceinhimself——thathewasexactlythemanfittedfortheperformanceofsuchatask。HewasalittleafraidofMrCrawley，acknowledgingtacitlytohimselfthatthemanhadapowerofascendancywithwhichhewouldhardlybeabletocopesuccessfully。InolddayshehadoncebeenrebukedbyMrCrawley，andhadbeencowedbytherebuke；andthoughtherewasnotouchofrancourinhisheartonthisaccount，noslightestremainingvenom——butratherincreasedrespectandfriendship——stillhewasunabletoovercomehisremembranceofthesceneinwhichtheperpetualcurateofHogglestockhadundoubtedlythemasteryofhim。So，whentwodogshavefoughtandonehasconquered，theconquereddogwillalwaysshowanunconscioussubmissiontotheconqueror。
Hehailedaboyontheroadashedrewneartothehouse，knowingthathewouldfindnooneattheparsonagetoholdhishorseforhim，andwasthusablewithoutdelaytowalkthroughthegardenandknockatthedoor。’Papawasnotathome，’Janesaid。’Papawasattheschool。Butpap...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：