Intheeveningtheplanoffuturecampaignwasarrangedbetweenthem。
Thearchdeaconwouldnotwritetohissonatall。InpassingthroughBarchesterhehadabandonedhisideaofdespatchinganotefromthehotel，feelingthatsuchanoteaswouldberequiredwasnoteasilywritteninahurry。MrsGrantlywouldnowwritetoherson，tellinghimthatcircumstanceshadchanged，thatitwouldbealtogetherunnecessaryforhimtosellhisfurniture，andbegginghimtocomeoverandseehisfatherwithoutaday’sdelay。Shewroteherletterthatnight，andreadtothearchdeaconallthatshehadwritten——withtheexceptionofthepostscript：——’Youmaybequitesurethattherewillbenounpleasantnesswithyourfather。’Thatwasthepostscriptwhichwasnotcommunicatedtothearchdeacon。
OnthethirddayafterthatHenryGrantlydidcomeovertoPlumstead。
Hismotherinherlettertohimhadnotexplainedhowithadcometopassthatthesaleofthefurniturewouldbeunnecessary。HisfatherhadgivenhimtounderstanddistinctlythathisincomewouldbewithdrawnfromhimunlesshewouldexpresshisintentionofgivingupMissCrawley；andithadbeenadmittedamongthemallthatCosbyLodgemustbeabandonedifthisweredone。HecertainlywouldnotgiveupGraceCrawley。Soonerthanthat，hewouldgiveupeverystickinhispossession，andgoanliveinNewZealandifitwerenecessary。NotonlyhadGrace’sconducttohimmadehimthusfirm，butthenaturalbentofhisowndispositionhadtendedthatwayalso。Hisfatherhadattemptedtodictatetohim，andsoonerthansubmittothathewouldsellthecoatoffhisback。Hadhisfatherconfinedhisoppositiontoadvice，andhadMissCrawleybeenlessfirminherviewofherduty，themajormighthavebeenlessfirmalso。Butthingshadsogonethathewasdeterminedtobefixedasgranite。Ifotherswouldnotbemovedfromtheirresolves，neitherwouldhe。Suchbeingthestateofhismind，hecouldnotunderstandwhyhewasthussummonedtoPlumstead。HehadalreadywrittenovertoPauabouthishouse，anditwaswellthatheshould，atanyrate，seehismotherbeforehestarted。Hewaswilling，therefore，togotoPlumstead，buthetooknostepsastothewithdrawalofthoseauctioneer’sbillstowhichthearchdeaconsostronglyobjected。Whenhedroveintotherectoryyard，hisfatherwasstandingtherebeforehim。
’Henry，’hesaid，’Iamverygladtoseeyou。Iamverymuchobligedtoyouforcoming。’ThenHenrygotoutofhiscartandshookhandswithhisfather，andthearchdeaconbegantotalkabouttheweather。’YourmotherhasgoneintoBarchestertoseeyourgrandfather，’saidthearchdeacon。
’Ifyouarenottired，wemightaswelltakeawalk。IwanttogoupasfarasFlurry’scottage。’Themajorofcoursedeclaredthathewasnotatalltired，andthatheshouldbedelightedofallthingstogoupandseeoldFlurry，andthustheystarted。YoungGrantlyhadnotevenbeenintothehousebeforehelefttheyardwithhisfather。Ofcourse，hewasthinkingofthecomingsaleatCosbyLodge，andofhisfuturelifeatPau，andofhisinjuredpositionintheworld。TherewouldbenolongeranyoccasionforhimtobesolicitousastothePlumsteadfoxes。
Ofcoursethesethingswereinhismind；buthecouldnotbegintospeakofthemtillhisfatherdidso。’I’mafraidyourgrandfatherisnotverystrong，’saidthearchdeacon，shakinghishead。’Ifearhewon’tbewithusverylong。’
’Isitsobadasthat？’
’Well，youknow，heisanoldman，Henry；andhewasalwayssomewhatoldforhisage。Hewillbeeighty，ifhelivestwoyearslonger，Ithink。
Buthe’llneverreacheighty；——never。Youmustgoandseehimbeforeyougobackhome；youmustindeed。’Themajor，ofcourse，promisedthathewouldseehisgrandfather，andthearchdeacontoldhissonhownearlytheoldmanhadfalleninthepassagebetweenthecathedralandthedeanery。Inthiswaytheyhadnearlymadetheirwayuptothegamekeeper’scottagewithoutawordofreferencetoanysubjectthattoucheduponthematterofwhicheachofthemwasofcoursethinking。
WhetherthemajorintendedtoremainathomeortoliveatPau，thesubjectofMrHarding’shealthwasanaturaltopicforconversationbetweenhimandhisfather；butwhenhisfatherstoppedsuddenly，andbegantotellhimhowafoxhadbeentrappedonDarvell’sfarm——’andofcourseitwasaPlumsteadfox——therecanbenodoubtthatFlurryisrightaboutthat’；——whenthearchdeaconspokeofthisiniquitywithmuchwarmth，andtoldhissonhowhehadatoncewrittenofftoMrThorneofUllathorne，andhowMrThornehaddeclaredthathedidn’tbelieveawordofit，andhowFlurryhadproducedthepadofthefox，withthemarksofthetrapontheskin——thenthesonbegantofeelthatthegroundwasbecomingverywarm，andthathecouldnotgoonmuchlongerwithoutrushingintodetailsaboutGraceCrawley。’I’venomoredoubtthatitwasoneofourfoxesthanthatIstandhere，’saidthearchdeacon。
’Itdoesn’tmatterwherethefoxwasbred。Itshouldn’thavebeentrapped，’saidthemajor。
’Ofcoursenot，’saidthearchdeacon，indignantly。IwonderwhetherhewouldhavebeensokeenhadaRomanistpriestcomeintohisparishandturnedoneofhisProtestantsintoaPapist？
ThenFlurrycameup，andproducedtheidenticalpadoutofhispocket。
’Idon’tsupposeitwasintended，’saidthemajor，lookingattheinterestingrelicwithscrutinisingeyes。’Isupposeitwascaughtinarabbit—trap，eh，Flurry？’
’Idon’tseewhatrightamanhaswithtrapsatall，whengentlemenisparticularabouttheirfoxes，’saidFlurry。’Ofcoursethey’dcallitrabbits。’
’IneverlikedthatmanonDarvell’sfarm，’saidthearchdeacon。
’NorIeither，’saidFlurry。’Nofarmeroughttobeonthatlandwhodon’thaveahorseofhisown。AndifIwarSquireThorne，Iwouldn’thavenofarmertherewhodidn’tkeepnohorse。Whenafarmerhasahorseofhisown，andfolliesthehounds，thereain’tnorabbit—traps；——never。
Howdoesthatcomeabout，MrHenry？Rabbits！Iknowverywellwhatrabbitsis！’
MrHenryshookhishead，andturnedaway，andthearchdeaconfollowedhim。Therewasanhypocrisyaboutthispretendedcareforthefoxeswhichdispleasedthemajor。Hecouldnot，ofcourse，tellhisfatherthatthefoxeswerenolongeranythingtohim；butyethemustmakeitunderstoodthatsuchwashisconviction。Hismotherhadwrittentohim，sayingthatthesaleofthefurnitureneednottakeplace。Itmightbeallverywellforhismothertosaythat，orforhisfather；butafterwhathadtakenplace，hecouldconsenttoremaininEnglandonnootherunderstandingthanthathisincomeshouldbemadepermanenttohim。Suchpermanencemustnotbeanylongerdependentonhisfather’scaprice。InthesedayshehadcometobesomewhatinlovewithpovertyandPau，andhadbeenfeedingontheluxuryofhisgrievance。There，perhaps，nothingsopleasantasthepreparationforself—sacrifice。TogiveupCosbyLodgeandthefoxes，tomarryapennilesswife，andtogoandliveatPauonsixorsevenhundredayear，seemedjustnowtoMajorGrantlytobeafinething，andhedidnotintendtoabandonthisfinethingwithoutreceivingaveryclearreasonfordoingso。’Ican’tquiteunderstandThorne，’saidthearchdeacon。’Heusedtobesoparticularaboutthesefoxes，andIdon’tsupposethatacountrygentlemanwillchangehisideasbec...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：