notadapperwaiter，withblackshinyhair，anddressedlikeaguestforadinner—party。Therearetwodistinctclassesofwaiters，andasfarasIhavebeenabletoperceive，thespecialstatusofthewaiterinquestioncannotbedecidedbyobservationoftheclassofwaitertowhichhebelongs。InsuchatownasBarchesteryoumayfindtheoldwaiterwiththedirtytowelintheheadinn，orinthesecond—classinn，andsoyoumaythedapperwaiter。Oryoumayfindbothineachandnotknowwhichisseniorwaiterandwhichjuniorwaiter。ButforserviceI
alwaysprefertheoldwaiterwiththedirtytowel，andIfinditmoreeasytosatisfyhiminthematterofsixpencewhenmyrelationswiththeinncometoanend。
’Haveyoubeenherelong，John，’saidMrToogood。
’Agoodishmanyyears，sir。’
’SoIthought，bythelookofyou。Onecanseethatyoubelonginawaytotheplace。Youdoagooddealofbusinesshere，Isuppose，atthistimeoftheyear？’
’Well，sir，prettyfair。Thehouseain’twhatitusedtobesir。’
’TimesarebadatBarchester——arethey？’
’Idon’tknowmuchaboutthetimes。It’sthepeopleisworsethanthetimes，Ithink。Theyusedtoliketohavealittlebitofdinnernowandagainatahotel；——andadropofsomethingtodrinkafterit。’
’Anddon’ttheylikeitnow？’
’Ithinktheylikeitwellenough，buttheydon’tdoit。Isupposeit’stheirwivesasdon’tlet’emcomeoutandenjoythemselves。ThereusedtobetheGooseandGleeclub；——thatwasonceamonth。They’vegoneandcleandoneawaywiththemselves——thatclubhas。There’soldBumpterintheHighStreet——he’sthelastoftheoldGeese。Theydiedoff，yousee，andwhenMrBiddlediedtheywouldn’tchooseanotherpresident。Aclubforhavingdinner，sir，ain’tnothingwithoutapresident。’
’Isupposenot。’
’Andthere’stheFreemasons。Theymustmeet，youknow，sir，incourse，becauseofthedooties。Butifyou’llbelieveme，sir，theydon’tsomuchaswettheirwhistles。Theydon’tindeed。Italwaysusedtobeasupper，andthatwasonceamonth。Nowtheypaysarentfortheuseoftheroom！Whoistogetalivingoutofthat，sir？——notinthewayofawaiter，thatis。’
’Ifthat’sthewaythingsaregoingonIsupposetheservantsleavetheirplacesprettyoften？’
’Idon’tknowaboutthat，sir。Amanmaydoadealworsethan"TheDragonofWantly"。Themasgoesawaytobetterthemselves，oftenworsesthemselves，asIcallit。I’veseenagooddealofthat。’
’Andyousticktotheoldshop？’
’Yes，sir；I’vebeenherefifteenyears，Ithinkitis。There’samanygoesaway，asdoesn’tgooutoftheirheads，youknow，sir。’
’Theygetthesack，youmean？’
’There’swordsbetweenthemandmaster——ormorelikely，missus。That’swhereitis。Servantsissofoolish。Ioftentell’emhowwrongfolksaretosaythatsoftwordsbutternoparsnips，andhardwordsbreaknobones。’
’Ithinkyou’velostsomeoftheoldhandsheresincethistimelastyear，John？’
’Youknowsthehousethen，sir？’
’Well；——I’vebeenherebefore。’
’Therewasfourofthemsent，Ithink，it’sjustabouttwelvemonthsback，sir。’
’TherewasamanintheyardIusedtoknow，andlasttimeIwasdownhere，Ifoundthathewasgone。’
’Therewasoneof’emoutoftheyard，andtwooutofthehouse。Masterandthemhadgottoveryhighwords。TherewaspoorScuttle，whohadbeenpost—boyat"TheCompass"beforehecamehere。’
’HewentawaytoNewZealand，didn’the？’
’B’levehedid，sir；ortosomeforeignparts。AndAnne，aswasunder—chambermaidhere；shewentwithhim，foolasshewas。Theygotthemselvesmarriedandwentoff，andhewaswellnighasoldasme。Butseemshe’dsavedalittlemoney，andthatgoesalongwaywithanygirl。’
’WashethemanwhodroveMrSoamesthatdaythechequewaslost？’MrToogoodaskedthisquestionperhapsalittletooabruptly。Atanyrateheobtainednoanswertoit。ThewaitersaidheknewnothingaboutMrSoames，orthecheque，andthelawyer，suspectingthatthewaiterwassuspectinghim，finishedhisbrandy—and—waterandwenttobed。
Earlyonthefollowingmorningheobservedthathewasspeciallyregardedbyashabby—lookingman，dressedinblack，butinablacksuitthatwasveryold，witharednose，whomhehadseeninthehotelontheprecedingday；andhelearnedthatthismanwasacousinofthelandlord——oneDanStringer——whoactedasaclerkinthehotelbar。HetookanopportunityalsoofsayingawordtoMrStringerthelandlord——whomhefoundtobeasomewhatforlornandgoutyindividual，seatedoncushionsinalittleparlourbehindthedoor。Afterbreakfasthewentout，andhavingtwicewalkedroundtheCathedralcloseandinspectedthefrontofthepalaceandlookedupatthewindowsoftheprebendaries’houses，heknockedatthedoorofthedeanery。ThedeanandMrsArabinwereontheContinenthewastold。ThenheaskedforMrHarding，havinglearnedthatMrHardingwasMrsArabin’sfather，andthathelivedatthedeanery。MrHardingwasathome，butwasnotverywell，theservantsaid。MrToogood，however，persevered，sendinguphiscard，andsayingthathewishedtohaveafewminutes’conversationwithMrHardingonveryparticularbusiness。Hewroteaworduponhiscardbeforegivingittotheservant——’aboutMrCrawley’。Inafewminuteshewasshownintothelibrary，andhadhardlytime，whilelookingattheshelves，torememberwhatMrCrawleyhadsaidofhisangeratthebeautifulbuildings，beforeanoldman，verythinandverypale，shuffledintotheroom。Hestoopedagooddeal，andhisblackclotheswereverylooseabouthisshrunkenlimbs。Hewasnotdecrepit，nordidheseemtobeonewhohadadvancedtoextremeoldage；butyetheshuffledratherthanwalked，hardlyraisinghisfeetfromtheground。MrToogood，ashecameforwardtomeethim，thoughtthathehadneverseenasweeterface。Therewasverymuchofmelancholyinit，ofthatsoftsadnessofagewhichseemstoacknowledge，andinsomesorttoregret，thewaningoiloflife；buttheregrettobereadinsuchfaceshasinitnothingofthebitternessofgrief；thereisnorepiningthattheendhascome，butsimplyatouchofsorrowthatsomuchthatisdearmustbeleftbehind。MrHardingshookhandswithhisvisitor，andinvitedhimtositdown，andthenseatedhimself，foldinghishandstogetheroverhisknees，andhesaidafewwordsinaverylowvoiceastotheabsenceofhisdaughterandthedean。
’Ihopeyouwillexcusemytroublingyou，’saidMrToogood。
’Itisnotroubleatall——ifIcouldbeofanyuse。Idon’tknowwhetheritisproper，butmayIaskwhetheryoucallas——as——asafriendofMrCrawley’s？’
’Altogetherasafriend，MrHarding。’
’I’mgladofthat；thoughofcourseIamwellawarethatthegentlemenengagedontheprosecutionmustdotheirduty。Still——Idon’tknow——somehowIwouldrathernothearofthemspeakofthispoorgentlemanbeforethetrial。’
’YouknowMrCrawleythen？’
’Veryslightly——veryslightlyindeed。Heisagentlemannotmuchgiventosocialhabits，andhasbeenbutseldomhere。Butheisanoldfriendwhommyson—in—lawlovesdearly。’
’I’mgladtohearyousaythat，MrHarding。PerhapsbeforeIgoanyfurther，IoughttotellyouthatMrsCrawleyandIarefirst—cousins。’
’Oh，indeed。Thenyouareafriend。’
’Ineversawhiminmylifetillafewdaysago。Heisveryqueer，youknow——veryqueerindeed。I’malawyer，MrHarding，practisinginLondon；——andattorney，thatis。AteachseparateannouncementMrHardingbowed，andwhenToogoodnamedhisspecialbranchofhisprofessionMrHardingbowedlowerthanbefore，asthoughdesirousofshowingthathehadgreatrespectforattorneys。’AndofcourseI’manxiousifonlyoutofrespectforthefamily，thatmywife’scousinshouldpullthroughthislittledifficulty，ifpossible。’
’Andforthesakeofthepoormanhimselftoo，andforhiswifeandchildren；——andforthesakeofthecloth。’
’Exactly；takingitalltogetherit’ssuchapity，youknow。Ithink，MrHarding，hecanhardlyhaveintendedtostealthemoney。’
’I’msurehedidnot。’
’It’sveryhardtobesureofanybody，MrHarding——veryhard。’
’Ifeelquitesurehedidnot。Hehasbeenamostpious，hardworkingc...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：