UptothecomingofMrThumblehewoulddoeverythingintheparishthatcouldbedonebyaclergymanwithaclearspiritandafreeheart。MrThumbleshouldnotfindthatspiritualweedshadgrownrankintheparishbecauseofhismisfortunes。
MrsProudiehaddiedontheTuesday——thathavingbeenthedayofMrThumble’svisittoHogglestock——andMrRobartshadgoneovertoSilverbridge，inanswertoDrTempest’sinvitation，ontheThursday。Hehadnot，therefore，thecommandofmuchtime，itbeingtheexpressobjecttopreventtheappearanceofMrThumbleatHogglestockonthenextSunday。HehadgonetoSilverbridgebyrailway，andhad，therefore，beenobligedtopostponehisvisittoMrCrawleytillthenextday；butearlyontheFridaymorningherodeovertoHogglestock。Thathedidnotarrivetherewithabroken—kneedhorse，thereadermaybequitesure。Inallmattersofthatsort，MrRobartswaseverabovereproach。Herodeagoodhorse，anddroveaneatgig，andwasalwayswell—dressed。OnthisaccountMrCrawley，thoughhereallylikedMrRobarts，andwasthankfultohimformanykindnesses，couldneverbearhispresencewithperfectequanimity。Robartswasnoscholar，wasnotagreatpreacher，hadobtainednocelebrityasachurchman——had，infact，donenothingtomeritgreatreward；andyeteverythinghadbeengiventohimwithanabundanthand。WithinthelasttwelvemonthhiswifehadinheritedMrCrawleydidnotcaretoknowhowmanythousandpounds。AndyetMrRobartshadwonallthathepossessedbybeingaclergyman。WasitpossiblethatMrCrawleyshouldregardsuchamanwithequanimity？
Robartsrodeoverwithagroombehindhim——reallytakingthegroombecauseheknewthatMrCrawleywouldhavenoonetoholdhishorseforhim——andthegroomwasthesourceofgreatoffence。HecomeuponMrCrawleystandingattheschooldoor，andstoppingatonce，jumpedoffhisnag。Therewassomethinginthewayinwhichhesprangoutofthesaddleandthrewthereinstotheman，whichwasnotclericaltoMrCrawley’seyes。Nomancouldbesoquickinthematterofahorsewhospentasmanyhourswiththepoorandwiththechildrenasshouldbespentbyaparishclergyman。ItmightbeprobablethatMrRobartshadneverstolentwentypounds——mightneverbeaccusedofsodisgracefulacrime——but，nevertheless，MrCrawleyhadhisownideas，andmadehisowncomparisons。
’Crawley’saidRobarts，’Iamsogladtofindyouathome。’
’Iamgenerallytobefoundintheparish，’saidtheperpetualcurateofHogglestock。
’Iknowyouare，’saidRobarts，whoknewthemanwell，andcarednothingforhisfriend’speculiaritieswhenhefelthisownwitherstobeunwrung。’ButyoumighthavebeendownatHoggleEndwiththebrickmakers，andthen，Iwouldhavehadtogoafteryou。’
’Ishouldhavegrieved——’beganCrawley；butRobartsinterruptedhimatonce。
’Letusgoforawalk，andI’llleavethemanwiththehorses。I’vesomethingspecialtosaytoyou，andIcansayitbetteroutherethaninthehouse。Graceisquitewell，andsendsherlove。Sheisgrowingtolooksobeautiful！’
’IhopeshemaygrowingracewithGod，’saidMrCrawley。
’SheisasgoodagirlaseverIknew。By—the—bye，youhadHenryGrantlyoverheretheotherday？’
’MajorGrantly，whomIcannotnamewithoutexpressingmyesteemforhim，diddousthehonourofcallinguponusnotverylongsince。Ifitbewithreferencetohimthatyouhavetakenthistrouble——’
’No，no；notatall。I’llallowhimandtheladiestofightoutthatbattle。I’venottheleastdoubtintheworldhowthatwillgo。WhenI’mtoldthatshemadeacompleteconquestofthearchdeacon，therecannotbeanydoubtaboutthat。’
’Aconquestofthearchdeacon！’
ButMrRobartsdidnotwishtohavetoexplainanythingfurtheraboutthearchdeacon。’Wereyounotterriblyshocked，Crawley，’heasked，’whenyouheardofthedeathofMrsProudie？’
’Itwassuddenandveryawful，’saidMrCrawley。’Suchdeathsarealwaysshocking。Notmoreso，perhaps，asregardsthewifeofabishop。，thanwithanyotherwoman。’
’Onlywehappentoknowher。’
’Nodoubtthefiniteandmeagrenatureofourfeelingsdoespreventusfromextendingoursympathiestothosewhomwehavenotseenintheflesh。Itshouldnotbeso，andwouldnotwithonewhohadnurturedhisheartwiththepropercare。Andwearepronetopermitanevilworsethanthattocankerourregardsandtofosterandtomaroursolicitudes。Thosewhoareinhighstationstrikeusmorebytheirjoysandsorrowsthandothepoorandlowly。Weresomeyoungduke’swife，weddedbuttheotherday，todie，allEnglandwouldputonashowofmourning——nay，wouldfeelsometruegleamofpity；butnobodycaresforthewidowedbrickmakerseatedwithhisstarvinginfantonhiscoldhearth。’
’Ofcoursewehearmoreofthebigpeople，’saidRobarts。
’Ay；andthinkmoreofthem。Butdonotsuppose，sir，thatIcomplainofthismanorthatwomanbecausehissympathies，orhers，runsoutofthatcoursewhichmyreasontellsmetheyshouldhold。Themanwithwhomitwouldnotbesowouldsimplybeagodamongmen。ItisinhisperfectionasamanthatwerecognisethedivinityofChrist。ItisintheimperfectionofmenthatwerecogniseournecessityforaChrist。
Yes，sir，thedeathofthepoorladyatBarchesterwasverysudden。I
hopethatmylordbearswithbecomingfortitudetheheavymisfortune。
Theysaythathewasamanmuchbeholdentohiswife——pronetoleanuponherinhisgoingsoutandcomingsin。Forsuchamansuchalossismoredreadfulthanforanother。’
’Theysaysheledhimaterriblelife，youknow。’
’Iamnotprone，sir，tobelievemuchofwhatIhearaboutthedomesticitiesofothermen，knowinghowlittleanyothermancanknowofmyown。AndIhave，methinks，observedapronenessintheworldtoridiculethatdependenceonawomanwhicheverymarriedmanshouldacknowledgeinregardtothewifeofhisbosom，ifhecanttrustheraswellasloveher。WhenIhearjocoseproverbsspokenastomensuchasthatinthishousethegreymareisthebetterhorse，orthatinthathousethewifewearsthatgarmentwhichissupposedtodenotevirilecommand，knowingthatthejokeiseasy，andthatmeeknessinamanismoretrulynoblethanthehabitofsternauthority，Idonotallowthemtogofarwithmeininfluencingmyjudgment。’
SospokeMrCrawley，whoneverpermittedtheslightestinterferencewithhisownwordinhisownfamily，andwhohadhimselfbeenawitnessofoneofthosescenesbetweenthebishopandhiswifeinwhichthepoorbishophadbeensocruellymisused。ButtoMrCrawleythethingwhichhehimselfhadseenundersuchcircumstanceswasassacredasthoughithadcometohimunderthesealofconfession。InspeakingofthebishopandMrsProudie——nay，asfaraswaspossibleinthinkingofthem——hewasboundtospeakandtothinkasthoughhehadnotwitnessedthatsceneinthepalacestudy。
’Idon’tsupposethatthereismuchdoubtastoherrealcharacter，’
saidRobarts。’ButyouandIneednotdiscussthat。’
’Bynomeans。Suchdiscussionwouldbebothuselessandunseemly。’
’AndjustatpresentthereissomethingelsethatIspeciallywanttosaytoyou。Indeed，IwenttoSilverbridgeonthesamesubjectyesterday，andhavecomehereexpresslytohavealittleconversationwithyou。’
’Ifitbeaboutaffairsofmine，MrRobarts，Iamindeedtroubledinspiritthatsogreatlabourshouldhavefallenuponyou。’
’Nevermindmylabour。Indeedyoursayingthatisanuisancetome，becauseIhopedthatbythistimeyouwouldhaveunderstoodthatI
regardyouasafriend，andthatIthinknothinganytroublethatIdoforafriend。Youpositionjustnowissopeculiarthatitrequiresagreatdealofcare。’
’Nocarecanbeofanyavailtome。’
’ThereIdisagreewithyou。Youmustexcuseme，butIdo；andsodoesDrTempest。Wethinkthatyouhavebeenalittletoomuchinahurrysincehecommunicatedtoyoutheresultofourfirstmeeting。’
’Ashow，sir？’
’Itis，perhaps，hardlyworthwhileforustogointothewholequestion；butthatman，Thumble，mustnotcomehereonnextSunday。’
’Icannotsay，MrRobarts，thattheReverendMrThumblehasrecommendedhimselftomestronglyeitherbyhisoutwardsymbolsof...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：