’Whoare"we"，doctor？’saidMrWalker。
’Icannotmakesuchaninquirybemyself，youknow。Isupposethebishopwouldaskmetoselecttwoorthreeotherclergymentoactwithme。That’stheusualwayofdoingit。Butyoumaybequitesureofthis，Walker；theassizeswillbeover，andthejuryhavefoundtheirverdictlongbeforewehavesettledourpreliminaries。’
’Andwhatwillthebethegoodofyourgoingonafterthat？’
’Onlythisgood：——iftheunfortunatemanbeconvicted——’
’Whichhewon’t’saidToogood，whothoughtitexpedienttoputonabolderfrontintalkingofthemattertotheruraldean，thanhehadassumedinhiswhisperedconversationwithMrsWalker。
’Ihopenot，withallmyheart，’saidthedoctor。’But，perhaps，forthesakeoftheargument，thesuppositionmaybeallowedtopass。’
’Certainly，sir，’saidMrToogood。’Forthesakeoftheargument，itmaypass。’
’Ifhebeconvicted，then，Isuppose，therewillbeanendofthequestion。Hewouldbesentencedfornotless，Ishouldsay，thantwelvemonths；andafterthat——’
’AndwouldbeasgoodaparsonofHogglestockwhenhecameoutofprisonaswhenhewentin，’saidMrWalker。’Theconvictionandjudgmentinacivilcourtwouldnottouchhistemporality。’
’Certainlynot，’saidMrToogood。
’Ofcoursenot，’saidthedoctor。’Weallknowthat；andintheeventofMrCrawleycomingbacktohisparishitwouldbeopentothebishoptoraisethequestionastohisfitnessfortheduties。’
’Whyshouldn’thebeasfitasanyoneelse？’saidMrToogood。
’Simplybecausehewouldhavebeenfoundguiltytobeathief，’saidthedoctor。’Youmustexcuseme，MrToogood，butit’sonlyforthesakeoftheargument。’
’Idon’tseewhatthathastodowithit，’saidMrToogood。’Hewouldhaveundergonehispenalty。’
’Itispreferablethatamanwhopreachesfromapulpitshouldnothaveundergonesuchapenalty，’saidthedoctor。’But，inpractice，undersuchcircumstances——whichwenoneofusanticipate，MrToogood——thelivingshouldnodoubtbevacated。MrCrawleywouldprobablyhardlywishtocomeback。Thejurywilldotheirworkbeforewecandoours——willdoitonmuchbetterbasethananywecanhave；and，whentheyhavedoneit，thethingoughttobefinished。Ifthejuryacquithim，thebishopcannotproceedanyfurther。Ifhebefoundguilty，Ithinkthattheresignationofthelivingmustfollow。’
’Itisallspite，then，onthebishop’spart？’saidthemajor。
’Notatall，’saidthedoctor。’Thepoormanisweak；thatisall。Heisdriventopersecutebecausehecannotescapepersecutionhimself。Butitmayreallybeaquestionwhetherhispresentproceedingisnotright。
IfIwereabishopIshouldwaittillthetrialwasover；thatisall。’
Fromthisandfrommuchmorethatwassaidduringtheeveningonthesamesubject，MrToogoodgraduallylearnedthepositionwhichMrCrawleyandthequestionofMrCrawley’sguiltreallyheldinthecounty，andhereturnedtotownresolvedtogoonwiththecase。
’I’llhaveabarristerdownexpress，andI’lldefendhiminhisownteeth，’hesaidtohiswife。’There’llbeasceneincourt，Idaresay，andthemanwillcalluponhisowncounseltoholdhistongueandshutuphisbrief；and，asfarasIcansee，counselinsuchacasewouldhavenoalternative。Buttherewouldcomeanexplanation——howCrawleywastoohonourabletoemployamanwhomhecouldnotpay，andtherewouldbearomance，anditwouldallgodownwiththejury。Onewantssympathyinsuchacaseasthat——notevidence。’
’Andhowmuchwillitcost，Tom？’saidMaria，dolefully。
’Onlyatrifle。Wewon’tthinkofthatyet。There’sJohnEamesisgoingallthewaytoJerusalem，outofhispocket。’
’ButJohnnyhasn’tgottwelvechildren，Tom。’
’Onedoesn’thaveacousinintroubleeveryday，’saidToogood。’Andthenyouseethere’ssomethingveryprettyinthiscase。It’squiteapleasuregettingitup。’
CHAPTERXLIII
MRCROSBIEGOESINTOTHECITY
’I’veknowntheCitynowformorethantenyears，MrCrosbie，andI
neverknewmoneytobesotightasitisatthemoment。Thebestcommercialbillsgoingcan’tbedoneundernine，andanyotherkindofpapercan’tsomuchasgetitselflookedat。’ThusspokeMrMusselboro。
HewasseatedinDobbsBroughton’sarm—chairinDobbsBroughton’sroominHookCourt，onthehindlegsofwhichhewasbalancinghimselfcomfortably；andhewascommunicatinghisexperienceinCitymatterstoouroldfriendAdolphusCrosbie——ofwhomwemaysurmisethathewouldnothavebeenthere，atthatmoment，inHookCourt，ifthingshadbeengoingwellwithhim。Itwasnowpasteleveno’clock，andheshouldhavebeenathisofficeattheWestEnd。Hispositioninhisofficewasnotdoubthighenoughtoplacehimbeyondthereachofanyspecialinquiryastosuchabsences；butitisgenerallyfeltthatwhentheCrosbiesoftheWestEndhavecallsintotheCityaboutnoon，thingsintheworldarenotgoingwellwiththem。ThemanwhogoesintotheCitytolookformoneyisgenerallyonewhodoesnotknowwheretogetthemoneywhenhewantsit。MrMusselboroonthisoccasionkepthishatonhishead，andtherewassomethinginthewayinwhichhebalancedhischairwhichinitselfanoffencetoMrCrosbie’spersonaldignity。ItwashardlyasyettwomonthssinceMrDobbsBroughtonhadassuredhiminthatveryroomthatthereneednotbetheslightestanxietyabouthisbill。Ofcourseitcouldberenewed——thecommissionbeingdulypaid。AsMrDobbsBroughtonexplainedonthatoccasion，thatwashisbusiness。TherewasnothinghelikedsomuchasrenewingbillsforsuchcustomersasMrCrosbie；andhewasverycandidatthatmeeting，explaininghowhedidthisbranchofhisbusiness，raisingmoneyonhisowncreditatfourorfivepercent。，andlendingitonhisownjudgmentateightornine。MrCrosbiedidnotfeelhimselfthencalledupontoexclaimthatwhathewascalledupontopaywasabouttwelve，perfectlyunderstandingthecomfortandgraceofeuphony；buthehadturneditoverinhismind，consideringwhethertwelvepercent。wasnotmorethanoughttobemulctedfortheaccommodationhewanted。Now，atthemoment，hewouldhavebeengladtogetitfromMrMusselboro，withoutfurtherwords，fortwenty。
ThingshadmuchchangedwithAdolphusCrosbiewhenhewasdriventomakemorningvisitstosuchaoneasMrMusselborowiththeviewofhavingabillrenewedfortwohundredandfiftypounds。Inhisearlylifehehadalwayshadthemeritofbeingacarefulmanastomoney。Insomeotherrespectshehadgoneastrayveryfoolishly——ashasbeenpartlyexplainedinourearlierchapters；butuptothedateofhismarriagewithLadyAlexandrinaDeCourcyhehadneverhaddealingsinHookCourtorinanysuchlocality。Moneytroubleshadthencomeuponhim。LadyAlexandrina，beingthedaughterofacountess，hadhighideas；andwhen，veryshortlyafterhismarriage，hehadsubmittedtoaseparationfromhisnoblewife，hehadfoundhimselfandhisincometobetiedupinextricablyinthehandsofMrMortimerGazebee，alawyerwhohadmarriedoneofhiswife’ssisters。ItwasnotthatMrGazebeewasdishonest；nordidCrosbiesuspecthimofdishonesty；butthelawyerwassoweddedtotheinterestofthenoblefamilywithwhichhewasconnected，thatheworkedforthemallasaninferiorspidermightbesupposedtowork，which，fromtheinfirmityofitsnature，wascompelledbyinstinctstobecatchingfliesforsuperiorspiders。MrMortimerGazebeehadinthiswayentangledMrCrosbieinhiswebonbehalfofthosenoblespiders，theDeCourcys，andourpoorfriend，inhisendeavourtofighthiswaythroughtheweb，hadfallenintothehandsoftheHookCourtfirmofMrsVanSiever，DobbsBroughton，andMusselboro。
’MrBroughtontoldmewhenIwaslasthere，’saidCrosbie，’thattherewouldbenodifficultyaboutit。’
’Anditwasrenewedthen...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：