Whentheyreturnedtothedeanery，MrHardingwasfluttered，weary，andunwell。WhenhisdaughterlefthimforafewminuteshetoldMrsBaxterinconfidenceofthestoryofhisaccident，andhisgreatgriefthathisdaughtershouldhaveseenit。’Lawsamercy，sir，itwasablessingshewaswithyou，’saidMrsBaxter；’itwas，indeed，MrHarding。’ThenMrHardinghadbeenangry，andspokealmostcrosslytoMrsBaxter；but，beforeshelefttheroom，hefoundanopportunityofbeggingherpardon——notinasetspeechtothateffect，butbyalittlewordofgentlekindness，whichshehadunderstoodperfectly。’Papa，’saidMrsGrantlytohimassoonasshehasucceededingettingbothPosyandMrsBaxteroutoftheroom——againstthedoingofwhich，MrHardinghadmanoeuvredwithallhislittleimpotentskill——’Papa，youmustpromisethatyouwillnotgotothecathedralagainalone，tillEleanorcomeshome。’Whenheheardthesentencehelookedatherwithblankmiseryinhiseyes。Hemadenotattemptatremonstrance。Hebeggedfornorespite。
Thewordhadgoneforth，andheknewthatitmustbeobeyed。Thoughhewouldhavehiddenthesignsofhisweaknesshadhebeenable，hewouldnotcondescendtopleadthathewasstrong。’Ifyouthinkitwrong，mydear，Iwillnotgoalone，’hesaid。’Papa，Ido；indeedIdo。Dearpapa，IwouldnothurtyoubysayingitifIdidnotknowthatIamright。’Hewassittingwithhishanduponthetable，and，asshespoketohim，sheputherhanduponhis，caressingit。’Mydear，’hesaid，’youarealwaysright。’
Shelefthimagainforawhile，havingsomebusinessoutinthecity，andhewasaloneinhisroomforanhour。Whatwastherelefttohimnowintheworld？Oldashewas，andinsomethingsalmostchildish，nevertheless，hethoughtofthiskeenly，andsomehalf—realisedremembranceofthe’leanandslipperedpantaloon’flittedacrosshismind，causinghimapang。Whatwastherelefttohimnowintheworld？
Posyandcat’s—cradle！Then，inthemidstofhisregrets，ashesatwithhisbackbentinhisoldeasy—chair，withonearmovertheshoulderofthechair，andtheotherhangingloosebyhisside，onasuddentherecameacrosshisfaceasmileassweetaseverybrightenedthefaceofmanorwoman。Hehadbeenabletotellhimselfthathehadnogroundforcomplaint——greatgroundratherforrejoicingandgratitude。Hadnottheworldandallinitbeengoodtohim；hadhenotchildrenwholovedhim，whohaddonehimhonour，whohadbeentohimalwaysacrownofglory，neveramarkforreproach；hadnothislinesfallentohiminverypleasantplaces；wasitnothishappyfatetogoandleaveitallamidstthegoodwordsandkindlovingcaresofdevotedfriends？Whoselatterdayshadeverbeenmoreblessedthanhis？Andforthefuture——？Itwasashethoughtofthisthatthesmilecameacrosshisface——asthoughitwerealreadythefaceofanangel。Andthenhemutteredtohimselfawordortwo。’Lord，nowlettestThouThyservantdepartinpeace。Lord，nowlettestThouThyservantdepartinpeace。’
WhenMrsGrantlyreturnedshefoundhiminjocundspirits。Andyetsheperceivedthathewassoweakthatwhenhelefthischairhecouldbarelygetacrosstheroomwithoutassistance。MrsBaxter，indeed，hadnotsenttohertoosoon，anditwaswellthattheprohibitionhadcomeintimetopreventsometerribleaccident。’Papa，’shesaid，’IthinkyouhadbettergowithmetoPlumstead。Thecarriageishere，andIcantakeyouhomesocomfortably。’ButhewouldnotallowhimselftobetakenonthisoccasiontoPlumstead。Hesmiledandthankedher，andputhishandintohers，andrepeatedhispromisethathewouldnotleavethehouseonanyoccasionwithoutassistance，anddeclaredhimselfspeciallythankfultoherforcomingtohimonthatspecialmorning；——buthewouldnotbetakentoPlumstead。’Whensummercomes，’hesaid，’then，ifyouwillhavemeforafewdays！’
Hemeantnodeceit，andyethehadtoldhimselfwithinthelasthourthatheshouldneverseeanothersummer。Hecouldnottellevenhisdaughterthataftersuchalifeasthis，aftermorethanfiftyyearsspentintheministrationofhisdarlingcathedral，itspeciallybehovedhimtodie——ashehadlived——atBarchester。Hecouldnotsaythistohiseldestdaughter；buthadhisEleanorbeenathome，hecouldhavesaidittoher。HethoughthemightyetlivetoseehisEleanoronceagain。Ifthiscouldbegiventohimhewouldaskfornothingmore。
Ontheafternoonofthenextday，MrsBaxterwroteanotherletter，inwhichshetoldMrsGrantlythatherfatherhaddeclared，athisusualhourofrisingthatmorning，thathewasnotgoingtothecathedral，hewould，hethought，lieinbedalittlelonger。Andthenhehadbeeninbedthewholeday。’Andperhaps，honouredmadam，lookingatallthings，it’sbestasheshould，’saidMrsBaxter。
CHAPTERL
LADYLUFTON’SPROPOSITION
ItwasnowknownthroughoutBarchesterthatacommissionwastobeheldbythebishop’sorders，atwhichinquirywouldbemade——thatis，ecclesiasticalinquiry——astotheguiltimputedtoMrCrawleyinthematterofMrSoames’scheque。Sundryrumourshadgoneabroadastoquarrelswhichhadtakenplaceonthesubjectamongcertainclergymenhighinoffice；buttheseweresimplyrumours，andnothingwasintruthknown。TherewasnomorediscreetclergymaninthediocesethanDrTempest，andnotawordhadescapedfromhimastothestormynatureofthatmeetinginthebishop’spalace，atwhichhehadattendedwiththebishop——andatwhichMrsProudiehadattendedalso。WhenitissaidthatthefactofthiscomingcommissionwasknowntoallBarsetshire，allusionisofcoursemadetothatportionoftheinhabitantsofBarsetshiretowhichclericalmattersweredear；——andassuchmatterswerespeciallydeartotheinhabitantsoftheparishofFramley，thecommissionwasdiscussedveryeagerlyinthatparish，andwasspeciallydiscussedbytheDowagerLadyLufton。
AndtherewasadoubleinterestattachedtothecommissionintheparishofFramleybythefactthatMrRobarts，thevicar，hadbeeninvitedbyDrTempesttobeoneoftheclergymenwhoweretoassistinmakingtheinquiry。’IalsotoproposetoaskMrOrielofGreshamburytojoinus，’
saidDrTempest。’Thebishopwishestoappointtheothertwo，andhasalreadynamedMrThumbleandMrQuiverful，whoarebothresidentsinthecity。Perhapshislordshipmayberightinthinkingitbetterthatthemattershouldnotbeleftaltogetherinthehandsofclergymenwhoholdlivingsinthediocese。YouarenodoubtawarethatneitherMrThumblenorMrQuiverfuldoholdanybenefice。’MrRobartsfelt——aseverybodyelsedidfeelwhoknewanythingofthematter——thatBishopProudiewassingularlyignorantofhisknowledgeofmen，andthatheshowedhisignoranceonthisspecialoccasion。’Ifheintendedtonametwosuchmenheshouldatanyratehavenamedthree，’saidDrThorne。’MrThumbleandMrQuiverfulwillsimplybeoutvotedonthefirstday，andafterthatwillgiveintheiradhesiontothemajority。’’MrThumbleindeed！’LadyLuftonhadsaid，withmuchscorninhervoice。Toherthinking，itwasabsurdinthehighestdegreethatsuchmenasDrTempestandherMrRobartsshouldbeaskedtomeetMrThumbleandMrQuiverfulonamatterofecclesiasticalbusiness。Outvoted！Ofcoursewheywouldbeoutvoted。
Ofcoursetheywouldbesoparalysedbyfearatfindingthemselvesinthepresenceofrealgentlemen，thattheywouldhardlybeabletovoteatall。OldLadyLuftondidnotinfactutterwordssoharshasthese；
butthoughtsasharshpassedthroughhermind。ThereaderthereforewillunderstandthatmuchinterestwasfeltinthesubjectatFramleyCourt，whereLadyLuftonlivedwithhersonanddaughter—in—law。
’Theytellme，’saidLadyLufton，’thatboththearchdeaconandDrTempestthinkitisrightthatacommissionshouldbeheld。Ifso，I
havenodoubtthatitisright。’
’Marksaysthatthebishopcouldhardlydoanythingelse，’rejoinedMrsRobarts。
’Idaresaynot，mydear。Isupposethebishopthatsomebodyhasnearhimtotellhimwhathemaydoandwhathemaynotdo。Itwouldbeterribletothinkof，ifitwerenotso。Butyet，whenIhearthathehasnamedsuchmenasMrThumbleandMrQuiverful，Icannotbutfeelthatthewholedioceseisdisgraced。’
’Oh，LadyLufton，thatissuchastrongword，’saidMrsRobarts。
’Itmaybestrong，butitisnotthelesstrue，’saidLadyLufton。
AndfromtalkingonthesubjectoftheCrawleys，LadyLuftonsoonadvanced，firsttoadesireforsomeactio...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：