Thentherecametidings，addressedonthisoccasiontoMrsGrantly，thatCosbyLodgewastobegivenup。Lady—dayhadcome，andthenoticenecessarilytobegivenatthatperiod，wassogiven。’Iknowthiswillgrieveyou，’MajorGrantlyhadsaid，’butmyfatherhasdrivenmetoit。’This，initself，wasacauseofgreatsorrow，bothtothearchdeaconandtoMrsGrantly，astherewerecircumstancesconnectedwithCosbyLodgewhichmadethemthinkthatitwasaverydesirableresidencefortheirson。’Ishallselleverythingabouttheplaceandgoabroadatonce，’hesaidinasubsequentletter。’Mypresentideaisthat，IshallsettlemyselfatPau，asmyincomewillsufficeformetolivethere，andeducationforEdithwillbecheap。AtanyrateIwillnotcontinuetoliveinEngland。Icouldneverbehappyhereincircumstancesoaltered。OfcourseIshouldnothaveleftmyprofession，unlessIhadunderstoodfrommyfatherthattheincomearisingfromitwouldnotbenecessarytome。Idonot，however，meantocomplain，butsimplytotellyouthatIshallgo。’Thereweremanylettersbetweenthemotherandsoninthosedays。
’Ishallstaytillafterthetrial，’hesaid。’Ifshewillthengowithme，wellandgood；butwhethershewillornot，Ishallnotremainhere。’AllthisseemedtoMrsGrantlytobepeculiarlyunfortunate，forhadhenotresolvedtogo，thingsmightevenyethaverightedthemselves。FromwhatshecouldnowunderstandofthecharacterofMissCrawley，whomshedidnotknowpersonally，shethoughtitprobablethatGrace，intheeventofherfatherbeingfoundguiltybythejury，wouldabsolutelyandpersistentlyrefusetheoffermadetoher。Shewouldbetoogood，asMrsGrantlyputittoherself，tobringmiseryanddisgraceintoanotherfamily。ButshouldMrCrawleybeacquitted，andshouldthemarriagethentakeplace，thearchdeaconhimselfmightprobablybegottoforgiveit。IneithercasetherewouldbenonecessityforbreakingupthehouseatCosbyLodge。ButherdearsonHenry，herbestbeloved，wasobstinateandstiff—neckedandwouldtakenoadvice。’Heisevenworsethanhisfather，’shesaid，inhershort—livedanger，toherownfathertowhomaloneatthistimeshecouldunburdenhergriefs，seekingconsolationandencouragement。
Itwasherhabittogoovertothedeaneryatanyratetwiceaweekatthistime，andontheoccasionofoneofthevisitssomade，sheexpressedverystronglyherdistressatthefamilyquarrelwhichhadcomeamongthem。Theoldmantookhisgrandson’spartthroughandthrough。’Idonotatallseewhyheshouldnotmarrytheyoungladyifhelikesher。Asformoney，thereoughttobeenoughwithouthishavingtolookforawifewithafortune。’
’Itisnotaquestionofmoney，papa。’
’Andastorank，’continuedMrHarding，’Henrywillnotatanyratebegoinglowerthanhisfatherdidwhenhemarriedyou；——notsolowindeed，foratthattimeIwasonlyaminorcanon，andMrCrawleyisinpossessionofabenefice。’
’Papa，allthisisnonsense。Itisindeed。’
’Verylikely，mydear。’
’ItisnotbecauseMrCrawleyisonlyperpetualcurateofHogglestockthatthearchdeaconobjectstothemarriage。Ithasnothingtodowiththatatall。Atthepresentmomentheisindisgrace。’
’Underacloud，mydear。Letuspraythatitmayonlybeapassingcloud。’
’Alltheworldthinksthatheisguilty。Andthenheissuchaman；——sosingular，sounlikeanybodyelse！Youknow，papa，thatIdon’tthinkverymuchofmoney，merelyasmoney。’
’Ihopenot，mydear。Moneyisworththinkingof，butitisnotworthverymuchthought。’
’Butitdoesgiveadvantages，andtheabsenceofadvantagesmustbeverymuchfeltintheeducationofagirl。YouwouldhardlywishHenrytomarryayoungwomanwho，fromthewantofmoney，hadnotbeenbroughtupamongladies。ItisnotMissCrawley’sfault，butsuchhasbeenherlot。
Wecannotignorethesedeficiencies，papa。’
’Certainlynot，mydear。’
’Youwouldnot，forinstance，wishthatHenryshouldmarryakitchen—maid。’
’ButisMissCrawleyakitchen—maid，Susan？’
’Idon’tquitesaythat。’
’Iamtoldthatshehasbeeneducatedinfinitelymorethanmostoftheyoungladiesintheneighbourhood，’saidMrHarding。
’YouknowwhatImean，papa。Butthefactis，thatitisimpossibletodealwithmen。Theywillneverbereasonable。AmarriagesuchasthiswouldbeinjurioustoHenry；butitwillnotberuinous；andastodisinheritinghimforit，thatwouldbedownrightwicked。’
’Ithinkso，’saidMrHarding。
’ButthearchdeaconwilllookatitasthoughitwoulddestroyHenryandEdithtogether，whileyouspeakofitasthoughitwerethebestthingintheworld。’
’Iftheyoungpeopleloveeachother，Ithinkitwouldbethebestthingintheworld，’saidMrHarding。
’But，papa，youcannotbutthinkthathisfather’swishshouldgoforsomething，’saidMrsGrantly，who，desirousasshewasontheonesidetosupportherson，couldnotbearthatherhusbandshould，ontheotherside，bedeclaredtobealtogetherinthewrong。
’Idonotknow，mydear，’saidMrHarding；’butIdothinkthatifthetwoyoungpeoplearefondofeachother，andifthereisanythingforthemtoliveupon，itcannotberighttokeepthemapart。Youknow，mydear，sheisthedaughterofagentleman。’MrsGrantlyuponthisleftherfatheralmostbrusquely，withoutspeakinganotherwordonthesubject；forthoughwasopposedtothevehementangerofherhusband，shecouldnotendurethepropositionnowmadebyherfather。
MrHardingwasatthistimelivingallaloneinthedeanery。Forsomefewyearsthedeaneryhadbeenhishome，andashisyoungestdaughterwasthedean’swife，therecouldnomorecomfortableresting—placefortheeveningofhislife。Duringthelastmonthortwothedayshadgonetediouslylongwithhim；forhehadhadthelargehousealltohimself，andhewasamanwhodidnotlovesolitude。Itishardtoconceivethattheold，whosethoughtshavebeenallthoughtout，shouldeverlovetolivealone。Solitudeissurelyfortheyoung，whohavetimebeforethemfortheexecutionofschemes，andwhocan，therefore，takedelightinthinking。Inthesedaysthepooroldmanwouldwanderabouttherooms，shamblingfromonechambertoanother，andwouldfeelashamedwhentheservantsmethimeveronthemove。Hewouldmakelittleapologiesforhisuneasiness，whichtheywouldacceptgraciously，understanding，afterafashion，whyitwasthathewasuneasy。’Heain’tgotnothingtodo，’
saidthehousemaidtothecook’andasforreading，theysaythatsomeoftheyoungonescanreadalldaysometimes，andallnighttoo；butblessyou，whenyou’renigheighty，readingdon’tgoformuch。’ThehousemaidwasrightastoMrHarding’sreading。Hewasnotonewhohadreadsomuchinhisearlierdaysastoenablehimtomakereadinggofarwithhimnowthathewasneareighty。Sohewanderedabouttheroom，andsathereforafewminutes，andthereforafewminutes，andthoughhedidnotsleepmuch，hemadethehoursofthenightasmanyaspossible。
Everymorningheshambledacrossfromthedeanerytothecathedral，andattendedthemorningservice，sittinginthestallwhichhehadoccupiedforfiftyyears。Thedistancewasveryshort，notexceeding，indeedahundredyardsfromaside—doorinthedeanerytoanotherside—doorintothecathedral；butshortasitwastherehadcometobeaquestionwhetherheshouldbeallowedtogoalone。Ithadbeenfearedthathemightfallonhispassageandhurthimself；fortherewasastephere，andastepthere，andthelightwasnotverygoodinthepurlieusoftheoldcathedral。Awordortwohadbeensaidonce，andtheofferofanarmtohelphimhadbeenmade；buthehadrejectedtheofferedassistance——softly，indeed，butstillfirmly——andeverydayhetotteredoffbyhimselfhardlyliftinghisfeetashewent，andaidinghimselfonhisjourneybyahanduponthewallwhenhethoughtthatnobodywaslookingathim。Butmanydidseehim，andtheywhoknewhim——ladiesgenerallyofthecity——wouldofferhimahand。NobodywasmilderinhisdislikingsthanMrHarding；buttherewereladiesinBarchesteruponwhosearmhewouldalwaysdeclinetolean，bowingcourteouslyashedidso，andsayingawordortwoofconstrainedcivility。Therewereotherswhomhewouldallowtoaccompanyhimhometothedoorofthedeanery，withwhomhedelightedtolingerandchatifthemorningwaswarm，andtowhomhewouldtelllittlestoriesofhisowndoingsinthecathedralservicesintheoldday...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：