saidthearchdeacon。Thedistancewasverynearlytwentymiles，anditwasfeltbyboththemotherandtheson，thatthearchdeaconmustbeinagoodhumourwhenhemadesuchapropositionasthat。Itwasnotoftenthattherectorycarriage—horseswereallowedtomakelongjourneys。A
runintoBarchesterandback，whichwasaltogetherundertenmiles，wasgenerallytheextentoftheirwork。’ImeanttohavepostedfromBarchester，’saidthemajor。’Youmayaswelltakethehorsesthrough，’
saidthearchdeacon。’Yourmotherwillnotwantthem。AndIsupposeyoumightaswellbringyourfriendToogoodbacktodinner。We’llgivehimabed。’
’Hemustbeagoodsortofman，’saidMrsGrantly；’forIsupposehehasdonethisallforlove？’
’Yes；andspentalotofmoneyoutofhisownpockettoo！’saidthemajorenthusiastically。’Andthejokeofitis，thathehasbeendefendingCrawleyinCrawley’steeth。MrCrawleyhadrefusedtoemploycounsel；butToogoodhadmadeuphismindtohaveabarrister，onpurposethattheremightbeafussaboutitincourt。HethoughtthatitwouldtellwiththejuryinCrawley’sfavour。’
’Bringhimhere，andwe’llhearallaboutthatfromhimself，’saidthearchdeacon。Themajor，beforehestarted，toldhismotherthatheshouldcallatFramleyParsonageonhiswayback；buthesaidnothingonthissubjecttohisfather。
’I’llwritetoherinadayortwo，’saidMrsGrantly，’andwe’llhavethingssettledpleasantly。’
CHAPTERLXXIV
THECRAWLEYSAREINFORMED
MajorGrantlymadeanearlystart，knowingthathehadalongday’sworkbeforehim。Hehadwrittenover—nighttoMrToogood，namingthehouratwhichhewouldreach’TheDragon’，andwastherepunctualtothemoment。
Whentheattorneycameoutandgotintotheopencarriage，whilethegroomheldthestepsforhim，itwasplaintoseethattherespectinwhichhewasheldat’TheDragon’wasgreatlyincreased。ItwasalreadyknownthathewasgoingtoPlumsteadthatnight，anditwaspartlyunderstoodthathewasengagedwiththeGrantlyandArabinfactionindefendingMrCrawleytheclergymanagainsttheProudiefaction。DanStringer，whowasstillattheinn，ashesawhisenemygetintothePlumsteadcarriage，felthimselftobeoneofthepalaceparty，andfeltthatifMrsProudiehadonlylivedtillaftertheassizesallthisheavytroublewouldnothavebefallenhim。Thewaiterwiththedirtynapkinstoodatthedoorandbowed，thinkingperhapsthatastheProudiepartywasgoingdowninBarchester，itmightbeaswelltobeciviltoMrToogood。ThedaysoftheStringerswereprobablydrawingtoacloseatthe’TheDragonofWantly’，andtherewasnoknowingwhomightbethenewlandlord。
HenryGrantlyandthelawyerfoundverylittletosaytoeachotherontheirlongwayouttoHogglestock。Theywerethinking，probably，muchofthecominginterview，andhardlyknewhowtoexpresstheirthoughtstoeachother。’Iwillnottakethecarriageuptothehouse，’saidthemajor，astherewereenteringtheparishofHogglestock；’particularlyasthemanmustfeedthehorses。’Sotheygotoutofafarmhouseabouthalfamilefromthechurch，wheretheoffenceofthecarriageandthelivery—servantwouldbewelloutofMrCrawley’ssight，andfromthencewalkedtowardstheparsonage。Thechurch，andtheschoolclosetoit，layontheirway，andastheypassedbytheschooldoortheyheardvoiceswithin。’I’llbettwopencehe’sthere，’saidToogood。’Theytellmehe’salwayseitherinoneshoportheother。I’llslipinandbringhimout。’MrToogoodhadassumedacomfortableair，asthoughtheday’sworkwastobegoodpastime，andevenmadeoccasionalattemptsatdrollery。HehadhadhisjokesaboutDanStringer，andhadattemptedtodescribetheabsurditiesofMrCrawley’svisittoBedfordRow。Allthiswouldhaveangeredthemajor，hadhenotseenthatitwasassumedtocoversomethingbelowofwhichMrToogoodwasalittleashamed，butofwhich，asthemajorthought，MrToogoodhadnocausetobeashamed。
When，therefore，ToogoodproposedtogointotheschoolandbringMrCrawleyout，asthoughthetellingoftheirstorywouldbetheeasiestthingintheworld，themajordidnotstophim。Indeedhehadnoplanofhisownready。Hismindwastoointentonthetragedywhichhadoccurred，andwhichwasnowtobebroughttoaclose，toenablehimtoformanyplanastothebestwayofgettingupthelastscene。SoMrToogood，withquickandeasysteps，enteredtheschool，leavingthemajorstillstandingintheroad。MrCrawleywasintheschool——asalsowasJaneCrawley。’Sohereyouare，’saidToogood。’That’sfortunate。I
hopeIfindyouprettywell？’
’IfIamnotmistakenintheidentity，mywife’srelative，MrToogood？’
saidMrCrawley，steppingdownfromhishumbledesk。
’Justso，myfriend，’saidToogood，withhishandextended，’justso；
andthere’sanothergentlemanoutsidewhowantstohaveawordwithyou。
Perhapsyouwon’tmindsteppingout。ThesearetheyoungHogglestockians；arethey？’
TheyoungHogglestockiansstaredathim，andsodidJane。Jane，whohadbeforeheardofhim，didnotlikehimatfirstsight，seeingthatherfatherwasclearlydispleasedbythetoneofthevisitor’saddress。MrCrawleywasdispleased。TherewasafamiliarityaboutMrToogoodwhichmadehimsore，ashavingbeenexhibitedbeforehispupils。’Ifyouwillbepleasedtostepout，sir，Iwillfollowyou，’hesaid，wavinghishandtowardsthedoor。’Jane，mydear，ifyouwillremainwiththechildrenIwillreturntoyoupresently。BobbyStudgehasfailedinsayinghisBelief。Youhadbettersethimonagainfromthebeginning。
Now，MrToogood。’Andagainhewavedhishandtowardsthedoor。
’Sothat’smyyoungcousin，isit？’saidToogood，stretchingoverandjustmanagingtotouchJane’sfingers——ofwhichactoftouchingJanewasverychary。Thenhewentforth，andMrCrawleyfollowedhim。TherewasthemajorstandingintheroadandToogoodwasanxioustobethefirsttocommunicatethegoodnews。Itwastheonlyrewardhehadproposedtohimselfforthemoneyhehadexpendedandthetimehehadlostandthetroublehehadtaken。’It’sallright，oldfellow，’hesaid，clappinghishandonMrCrawley’sshoulder。’We’vegottherightsowbytheearatlast。Weknowallaboutit。’MrCrawleycouldhardlyrememberthetimewhenhehadbeencalledanoldfellowlast，andnowhedidnotlikeit；nor，intheconfusionofhismind，couldheunderstandtheallusiontotherightsow。HesupposedthatToogoodhadcometohimabouthistrial，butitdidnotoccurtohimthatthelawyermightbebringinghimnewswhichmightmakethetrialaltogetherunnecessary。’Ifmyeyesarenotmistaken，thereismyfriend，MajorGrantly，’saidMrCrawley。
’Thereheis，aslargeaslife，’saidToogood。’Butstopamomentbeforeyougotohim，andgivemeyourhand。Imusthavethefirstshakeofit。’HereuponCrawleyextendedhishand。’That’sright。Andnowletmetellyouweknowallaboutthecheque——Soames’scheque。Weknowwhereyougotit。Weknowwhostoleit。Weknowhowitcametothepersonwhogaveittoyou。It’sallverywelltalking，butwhenyou’reintroublealwaysgotoalawyer。’
BythistimeMrCrawleywaslookingfullintoMrToogood’sface，andseeingthathiscousin’seyeswerestreamingwithtearsbegantogetsomeinsightintotheman’scharacter，andalsosomeverydiminsightintothefactswhichthemanintendedtocommunicatetohimself。’Idonotasyetfullyunderstandyou，sir，’hesaid，’beingperhapsinsuchmatterssomewhatdullofintellect，butitseemethtomethatyouarethemessengerofgladtidings，whosefeetarebeautifuluponthemountains。’
’Beautiful！’saidToogood。’ByGeorge，Ishouldthinktheyarebeautiful！Don’tyouhearmetellyouthatwehavefoundoutallaboutthecheque，andthatyou’reasrightasatrivet？’Theywerestillonthelittlecausewayleadingfromtheschooluptheroad，andHenryGrantlywaswaitingforthematthesmallwicket—gate。’MrCrawley，’
saidthemajor，’Icongratulateyouwithallmyheart。Icouldnotbutaccompanymyfriend，MrToogood，whenhebroughtyouthisgoodnews。’
’Idonotevenyetaltogethercomprehendwhathasbeentoldtome，’saidCrawley，nowstandingoutontheroadbetweentheothertwomen。’Iamdoubtlessdull——verydull。MayIbegsomeclearerwordofexplanationbeforeIaskyoutogowithmetomywife？’
’ThechequewasgiventoyoubymyauntEleanor。’
’YourauntEleanor！’saidCrawley，nowaltogetherintheclouds。Whowasthemajor’sauntEleanor？Thoughhehad，nodoubt，atdifferenttimesheardallthecircumstancesoftheconnection，hehadneverrealisedthefactthathisdaughter’sloverwasthenephewofhisoldfriendArabin。
’Yes；bymyaunt，MrsArabin。’
’Sheputitintotheenvelopewiththenotes，’saidToogood——’slippeditinwithoutsayingawordtoanyone。Ineverheardofawomandoingsuchathinginmylifebefore。Ifshehaddied，orifwehadn’tcaughther，whereshouldweallhavebeen？NotbutwhatIthinkIshouldhaverunDanStringertogroundtoo，andworkeditoutofhim。’
’Then，afterall，itwasgiventomebythedean？’saidCrawley。
’Itwasintheenvelope，butthedeandidnotknowit，’saidthemajor。
’Gentlemen，’saidMrCrawley。’Iwassureofit。Iknewit。Weakasmymindmaybe——andattimesitisveryweak——IwascertainthatIcouldnothaveerredinsuchamatter。ThemoreIstruggledwithmymemorythemorefixedwithmebecamethefact——whichIhadforgottenbutforamoment——thatthedocumenthadformedapartofthatsmallpackethandedtomebythedean。Butlookyou，sirs——bearwithmeyetforamoment。I
saidthatitwasso，andthedeandeniedit。’
’Thedeandidnotknowit，man，’saidToogood，almostinapassion。
’Bearwithmeyetawhile。SofarhaveIbeenmisdoubtingthedean——whomIhavelongknowntob...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：