’ButthisspeaksofyourgoingnextMonday，Josiah，’saidMrsCrawley。
’IfinditmoresuitablethatIshouldgotoday，’saidhe。’SomedutyI
dooweinthismatter，bothtothebishop，andtoDrTempest，who，afterafashionis，asregardsmypresentbusiness，thebishop’srepresentative。ButIdonotperceivethatIoweitasadutytoeithertoobeyimplicitlytheirinjunctions，andIwillnotsubmitmyselftothecross—questioningofthemanThumble。AsIampurposedatpresentI
shallexpressmywillingnesstogiveuptheparish。’
’Giveuptheparishaltogether？’
’Yes，altogether。’Ashespokeheclaspedbothhishandstogether，andhavingheldthemforamomentonhigh，allowedthemtofallthusclaspedbeforehim。’Icannotgiveitupinpart；Icannotabandonthedutiesandreservethehonorarium。NorwouldIifIcould。’
’Ididnotmeanthat，Josiah。Butpraythinkofitbeforeyouspeak。’
’Ihavethoughtofit，andIwillthinkofit。Farewell，mydear。’
Thenhecameuptoherandkissedher，andstartedonhisjourneyonfoottoSilverbridge。
ItwasaboutnoonwhenhereachedSilverbridge，andhewastoldthatDoctorTempestwasathome。Theservantaskedhimforacard。’Ihavenocard，’saidMrCrawley，’butIwillwritemynameforyourbehoofifyourmaster’shospitalitywillallowmepaperandpencil。’Thenamewaswritten，andasCrawleywaitedinthedrawing—roomhespenthistimeinhatingDrTempestbecausethedoorhadbeenopenedbyaman—servantdressedinblack。HadthemanbeeninliveryhewouldhavehatedDrTempestallthesame。Andhewouldhavehatedhimalittlehadthedoorbeenopenedbyasmartmaid。
’Yourlettercametohandyesterdaymorning，DrTempest，’saidMrCrawley，stillstanding，thoughthedoctorhadpointedtoachairforhimaftershakinghandswithhim；’andhavinggivenyesterdaytotheconsiderationofit，withwhatjudgmentIhavebeenabletoexercise，I
havefeltittobeincumbentuponmetowaituponyouwithoutfurtherdelay，asbydoingsoImayperhapsassistyourviewsandsavelabourtothosegentlemenwhoarejoinedwithyouinthiscommissionofwhichyouhavespoken。TosomeofthemitmaypossiblybetroublesomethattheyshouldbebroughthereonnextMonday。
DrTempesthadbeenlookingathimduringthisspeech，andcouldseebyhisshoesandtrousersthathehadwalkedfromHogglestocktoSilverbridge。’MrCrawley，willyounotsitdown？’saidhe，andthenheranghisbell。MrCrawleysatdown，notonthechairindicated，butonthefurtherremovedandattheothersideofthetable。Whentheservantcame——theobjectionablebutlerinblackclothesthatweresomuchsmarterthanMrCrawley’sown——hismaster’sorderswerecommunicatedwithoutanyaudibleword，andthemanreturnedwithadecanterandwine—glasses。
’Afteryourwalk，MrCrawley，’saidDrTempest，gettingupfromhisseattopouroutwine。
’None，Ithankyou。’
’Prayletmepersuadeyou。Iknowthelengthofthemilessowell。’
’Iwilltakenoneifyouplease，sir，’saidMrCrawley。
’Now，MrCrawley，’saidDrTempest，’doletmespeaktoyouasafriend。
Youhavewalkedeightmiles，andaregoingtotalktomeonasubjectwhichisofvitalimportancetoyourself。Iwon’tdiscussitunlessyou’lltakeaglassofwineandabiscuit。’
’DrTempest！’
’I’mquiteinearnest。Iwon’t。IfyoudoasIask，youshalltalktometilldinner—time，ifyoulike。There。Nowyoumaybegin。’
MrCrawleydideatthebiscuitanddiddrinkthewine，andashedidso，heacknowledgedtohimselfthatDrTempestwasright。Hefeltthatthewinehadmadehimstrongertospeak。’IhardlyknowwhyyouhavepreferredtodaytonextMonday，’saidDrTempest；’butifanythingcanbedonebyyourpresenceheretoday，yourtimeshallnotbethrownaway。’
’IhavepreferredtodaytoMonday，’saidCrawley，’partlybecauseI
wouldsoonertalktoonemanthantofive。’
’Thereissomethinginthat，certainly，’saidDrTempest。
’AndasIhavemadeupmymindastothecourseofactionwhichitismydutytotakeinthemattertowhichyourletteroftheninthofthismonthrefers，therecanbenoreasonwhyIshouldpostponethedeclarationofmypurpose。DrTempest，IhavedeterminedtoresignmyprefermentatHogglestock，andshalltodaywritetotheDeanofBarchester，whoisthepatron，acquaintinghimofmypurpose。’
’Youmeanintheevent——intheevent——’
’Imean，sir，todothiswithoutreferencetoanyeventthatisfuture。
Thebishop，DrTempest，whenIshallhavebeenprovedtobeathief，shallhavenotroubleeitherincausingmysuspensionormydeprivation。
Thenameandfameofaparishclergymanshouldbeunstained。Minehavebecomefoulwithinfamy。Iwillnotwaittobedeprivedbyanycourt，byanybishop，orbyanycommission。Iwillbowmyheadtothatpublicopinionwhichhasreachedme，andIwilldeprivemyself。’
Hehadgotupfromhischair，andwasstandingashepronouncedthefinalsentenceagainsthimself。DrTempeststillremainedseatedinhischair，lookingathim，andforafewmomentstherewassilence。’Youmustnotdothat，MrCrawley，’saidDrTempest，atlast。
’ButIshalldoit。’
’Thenthedeanmustnottakeyourresignation。Speakingtoyoufrankly，Itellyouthatthereisnoprevailingopinionastotheverdictwhichthejurymaygive。’
’Mydecisionhasnothingtodowiththejury’sverdict。Mydecision——’
’Stopamoment，MrCrawley。Itispossiblethatyoumightsaythatwhichshouldnotbesaid。’
’Thereisnothingtobesaid——nothingwhichIcouldsay，whichIwouldnotsayattheTownCrossifitwerepossible。Astothismoney，IdonotknowwhetherIstoleitorwhetherIdidnot。’
’ThatisjustwhatIhavethought。’
’Itisso。’
’Thenyoudidnotstealit。Therecanbenodoubtaboutthat。’
’Thankyou，DrTempest。Ithankyouheartilyforsayingsomuch。But，sir，youarenotthejury。Nor，ifyouwere，couldyouwhitewashmefromtheinfamywhichhasbeencastuponme。Againsttheopinionexpressedatthebeginningoftheseproceedingsbythebishopofthisdiocese——orratheragainstthatexpressedbyhiswife——Ididventuretomakeastand。Neithertheopinionwhichcamefromthepalace，northevehiclebywhichitwasexpressed，commandedmyrespect。Sincethat，othershavespokentowhomIfeelmyselfboundtoyield——yourselfnottheleastamongthem，DrTempest——andtothemIshallyield。YoumaytelltheBishopofBarchester，thatIshallatonceresigntheperpetualcuracyofHogglestockintothehandsoftheDeanofBarchester，bywhomIwasappointed。’
’No，MrCrawley；Ishallnotdothat。Icannotcontrolyou，butthinkingyoutobewrong，Ishallnotmakethatcommunicationtothebishop。’
’ThenIshalldoitmyself。’
’Andyourwife，MrCrawley，andyourchildren？’
AtthatmomentMrCrawleycalledtomindtheadviceofhisfriendGilesHoggett。’It’ddoggedasdoesit。’Hecertainlywantedsomethingverystrongtosustainhiminthisdifficulty。Hefoundthatthisreferencetohiswifeandchildrenrequiredhimtobedoggedinaverymarkedmanner。’Icanonlytrustthatthewindmaybetemperedtothem，’hesaid。’Theywill，indeed，beshornlambs。’
DrTempestgotupfromhischair，andtookacoupleofturnsabouttheroombeforehespokeagain。’Man，’hesaid，addressingMrCrawleywithallhisenergy，’ifyoudothisthing，youwillthenatleastbeverywicked。Ifthejuryfindaverdictinyourfavouryouaresafe，andthechancesarethattheverdictwillbeinyourfavour。’
’Icarenothingnowfortheverdict，’saidMrCrawley。
’Andyouwillturnyourwifeintothepoorhouseforanidea！’
’It’sdoggedasdoesit，’saidMrCrawleytohimself。’Ihavethoughtofthat，’hesaidaloud。’Thatmywifeisdeartome，andthatmychildrenaredear，Iwillnotdeny。Shewassoftlynurtured，DrTempest，andcamefromahouseinwhichwantwasneverknown。Sinceshehassharedmyboardshehashadsomeexperienceofthatnature。ThatI
shouldhavebroughthertoallthisisveryterribletome——soterrible，thatIoftenwonderhowitisthatIlive。But，sir，youwillagreewithme，thatmydutyasaclergymanisaboveeverything。Idonotdare，evenfortheirsake，toremainintheparish。Good...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：