’Ishan’tgonearSirRaffleBuffletomorrow，noryetthenextday。Youmustn’tsupposethatIamafraidofSirRaffleBuffle。’
’YouareonlyafraidofLilyDale。’FromallwhichitmaybeseenthatMrsArabinandJohnEameshadbecomeveryintimateontheirwayhome。
ItwasthenarrangedthatheshouldcallonMrToogoodthatsamenightorearlynextmorning，andthatheshouldcometothehotelattwelveo’clockonthenextday。Goingalongoneofthepassageshepassedtwogentlemeninshovelhats，withveryblacknewcoatsandknee—breeches；
andJohnnycouldnotbuthearafewwordswhichoneclericalgentlemansaidtotheother。’Shewasawomanofgreatenergy，ofwonderfulspirit，butafirebrand，mylord——acompletefirebrand！’ThenJohnnyknewthattheDeanofAwastalkingtotheBishopofBaboutthelateMrsProudie。
CHAPTERLXXI
MRTOOGOODATSILVERBRIDGE
WewillnowgobacktoMrToogoodashestartedforSilverbridge，onthereceiptofMrsArabin’stelegramfromVenice。’IgavechequetoMrCrawley。Itwaspartofasumofmoney。WillwritetoArchdeaconGrantlytoday，andreturnhomeatonce。’ThatwasthetelegramwhichMrToogoodreceivedathisoffice，andonreceivingwhichheresolvedthathemuststarttoBarchesterimmediately。’Itisn’tcertainlywhatyouwouldcallapayingbusiness，’hesaidtohispartner，whocontinuedtogrumble；
’butitmustbedoneallthesame。Ifitdon’tgetintotheledgerinonewayitwillinanother。’SoMrToogoodstartedforSilverbridge，havingsenttohishouseinTavistockSquareforasmallbag，acleanshirt，andatoothbrush。Andashewentdowntotherailway—carriage，beforehewenttosleep，heturneditalloverinhismind。’Poordevil！
Iwonderwhetheranymansufferedsomuchbefore。Andasforthatwoman——it’stenthousandpitiesthatsheshouldhavediedbeforesheheardit。Talkofheart—complaint！；she’dhavehadatouchofheart—
complaintifshehadknownthis！’Then，ashewasspeculatinghowMrsArabincouldhavecomepossessedofthechequehewenttosleep。
HemadeuphismindthatthefirstpersontobeseenwasMrWalker，andafterthathewould，ifpossible，gotoArchdeaconGrantly。HewasatfirstmindedtogoatoncetoHogglestock；butwhenherememberedhowverystrangeMrCrawleywasinallhisways，andtoldhimselfprofessionallythattelegramswerebutbadsourcesofevidenceonwhichtodependfordetails，hethoughtthatitwouldbesaferifhewerefirsttoseeMrWalker。Therewouldbeverylittledelay。Inadayortwothearchdeaconwouldreceivehisletter，andinadayortwoafterthatMrsArabinwouldprobablybeathome。
ItwaslateintheeveningbeforeMrToogoodreachedthehouseoftheSilverbridgesolicitor，havingthetelegramcarefullyfoldedinhispocket；andhewasshownintothedining—roomwhiletheservanttookhisnameuptoMrWalker。Theclerksweregone，andtheofficewasclosed；
andpersonscomingonbusinessatsuchtimes——astheyoftendidcometothathouse——werealwaysshownintotheparlour。’Idon’tknowwhethermastercanseeyoutonight，’saidthegirl；’butifhecan，he’llcomedown。’
WhenthecardwasbroughtuptoMrWalkerhewassittingalonewithhiswife。’It’sToogood，’saidhe；’poorCrawley’scousin。’
’Iwonderwhetherhehasfoundanythingout，’saidMrsWalker。’Mayhenotcomeuphere？’ThenMrToogoodwassummonedintothedrawing—room，tothemaid’sastonishment；forMrToogoodhadmadenotoiletsacrificestothegoddessofgracewhopresidesovereveningsocietyinprovincialtowns——andpresentedhimselfwiththetelegraminhishand。’WehavefoundoutallaboutpoorCrawley’scheque，’hesaid，beforethemaid—servanthadclosedthedoor。’Lookatthat，’andhehandedthetelegramtoMrWalker。Thepoorgirlwasobligedtogo，thoughshewouldhavegivenoneherearstoknowtheexactcontentsofthatbitofpaper。
’Walker，whatisit？’saidhiswife，beforeWalkerhadhadtimetomakethecontentsofthedocumenthisown。
’HegotitfromMrsArabin，’saidToogood。
’No！’saidMrsWalker。’Ithoughtthatwasitallalong。’
’It’sapityyoudidn’tsaysobefore，’saidMrWalker。
’SoIdid；butalawyerthinksthatnobodycaneverseenanythingbuthimself；——beggingyourpardon，MrToogood，butIforgotyouwereoneofus。But，Walker，doreadit。’Thenthetelegramwasread；’IgavethechequetoMrCrawley。Itwaspartofasumofmoney’——withtherestofit。’Iknewitwouldcomeout，’saidMrsWalker。’Iwasquitesureofit。’
’Butwhythemischiefdidn’thesayso？’saidWalker。
’Hedidsayhegotitfromthedean，’saidToogood。
’Buthedidn’tgetitfromthedean；andthedeanclearlyknewnothingaboutit。’
’I’lltellyouwhatitis，’saidMrsWalker；’ithasbeensomeprivatetransactionbetweenMrCrawleyandMrsArabin，whichthedeanknewnothingabout；andsohewouldn’ttell。ImustsayIhonourhim。’
’Idon’tthinkithasbeenthat，’saidWalker。’HadheknownallthroughthatithadcomefromMrsArabin，hewouldneverhavesaidthatMrSoamesgaveittohim，andthenthatthedeangaveittohim。’
’Thetruthhasbeenthathehasknownnothingaboutit，’saidToogood；
’andweshallhavetotellhim。’
AtthatmomentMaryWalkercameintotheroom，andMrsWalkercouldnotconstrainherself。’Mary，MrCrawleyisallright。Hedidn’tstealthecheque。MrsArabingaveittohim。’
’Whosaysso？Howdoyouknow？Oh，dear；Iamsohappy，ifit’strue。’
ThenshesawMrToogoodandcurtseyed。
’Itisquitetrue，mydear，’saidMrWalker。’MrToogoodhashadamessagebythewiresfromMrsArabinatVenice。Sheiscominghomeatonce，andnodoubteverythingwillbeputright。Inthemeantime，itmaybeaquestionwhetherweshouldnotholdourtongues。MrCrawleyhimself，Isuppose，knowsnothingofityet？’
’Notaword，’saidToogood。
’Papa，ImusttellMissPrettyman，’saidMary。
’IshouldthinkthatprobablyallSilverbridgeknowsitbythistime，’
saidMrsWalker，’becauseJanewasintheroomwhentheannouncementwasmade。Youmaybesurethateveryservantinthehousehasbeentold。’
MaryWalker，notwaitingforanyfurthercommandfromherfather，hurriedoutoftheroomtoconveythesecrettoherspecialcircleoffriends。
ItwasknownthroughoutSilverbridgethatnight，andindeeditmadesomuchcommotionthatitkeptmanypeopleforanhouroutoftheirbeds。
Ladieswhowerenotinthehabitofgoingoutlateatnightwithouttheflyfromthe’GeorgeandVulture’，tiedtheirheadsupintheirhandkerchiefs，andhurriedupanddownthestreettotelleachotherthatthegreatsecrethadbeendiscovered，andthatintruthMrCrawleyhadnotstolenthecheque。Thesolutionofthemysterywasnotknowntoall——wasknownonthatnightonlytotheveryselectportionofthearistocracyofSilverbridgetowhomitwascommunicatedbyMaryWalkerorMissAnnePrettyman。ForMaryWalker，whenearnestlyentreatedbyJane，theparlour—maid，totellhersomethingmoreofthegreatnews，hadsofarrespectedherfather’scautionastosaynotawordaboutMrsArabin。’Isittrue，MissMary，thathedidn’tstealit？’Janeaskedimploringly。’Itistrue。Hedidnotstealit。’’Andwhodid，MissMary？
IndeedIwon’ttellanybody。’’Nobody。Butdon’taskanymorequestions，forIwon’tanswerthem。Getmemyhatatonce，forIwanttogouptoMissPrettyman’s。’ThenJanegotMissWalker’shat，andimmediatelyafterwardsscamperedintothekitchenwiththenews。’Oh，law，cook，it’sallcomeout！MrCrawley’sasinnocentastheunbornbabe。Thegentlemanupstairswhat’sjustcome，andwashereoncebefore——forI
know’dhimimmediate——Iheardhimsayso。Andmastersaidsotoo。’
’Didmastersaysohisownself？’askedthecook。
’Indeedhedid；andMissMarytoldmethesamethismoment。’
’Ifmastersaidso，thenthereain’tadoubtasthey’llfindhiminnocent。Andwhotook’d，Jane？’
’MissMarysaysasnobodydidn’tstealit。’
’That’snonsense，Jane。Itstandstoreasonassomebodyhaditashadn’toughttohavehadit。ButI’mgladasanythingashowthepoorreverendgent’llcomeoff；——Iam。Theytellsmeit’sweekssometimesbeforeabitofbutcher’smeatfindsitswayintohishouse。’Thenthegroomandthehousemaidandthecook，oneafteranother，tookoccasiontoslipoutoftheback—door，andpoorJane，whohadreall...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：