’Yes；theheartlessandunfeelingdo。Asthebodilystrengthfailsandthepowerofcontrolbecomeslessened，thenaturalaptitudeofthemanpronouncesitselfmoreclearly。Itakeitthatthatisit。HadMrsProudielivedtobeandhundredandfifty，shewouldhavespokenspitefulliesonherdeathbed。’ThenMrsGrantlytoldherselfthatherhusband，shouldhelivetobehundredandfifty，wouldstillbeexpressinghishorrorofMrsProudie——evenonhisdeathbed。
AssoonastheletterfromMrsArabinhadreachedPlumstead，thearchdeaconandhiswifearrangedthattheywouldbothgotogethertothedeanery。Therewerethedoubletidingstobetold——thoseofMrCrawley’sassuredinnocence，andthosealsoofMrsArabin’sinstantreturn。AndastheywenttogethervariousideaswerepassingthroughtheirmindsinreferencetothemarriageoftheirsonwithGraceCrawley。Theywerebothnowreconciledtoit。MrsGrantlyhadlongceasedtofeelanyoppositiontoit，eventhoughshehadnotseenGrace；andthearchdeaconwaspreparedtogiveway。Hadhenotpromisedthatinacertaincasehewouldgiveway，andhadnotthatcasecometopass？Hehadnowishtogobackfromhisword。Buthehadadifficultyinthis——thathelikedtomakealltheaffairsofhislifematterforenjoyment，almostfortriumph；buthowwashetobetriumphantoverthismarriage，orhowevenwashetoenjoyit，seeingthathehadopposeditsobitterly？Thoseposters，thoughtheywerenowpulleddown，hadbeenuponabarnendsandwallspatent——alas，toopatent——toalltheworldofBarsetshire！
’WhatwillMrCrawleydonow，doyousuppose？’saidMrsGrantly。
’Whatwillhedo？’
’Yes；musthegoonatHogglestock？’
’Whatelse？’saidthearchdeacon。
’Itisapitysomethingcouldnotbedoneforhimafterallhehasundergone。Howonearthcanhebeexpectedtolivetherewithawifeandfamily，andnoprivatemeans？’Tothisthearchdeaconmadenoanswer。
MrsGrantlyhadspokenalmostimmediatelyupontheirquittingPlumstead，andthesilencewascontinuedtillthecarriagehadenteredthesuburbsofthecity。ThenMrsGrantlyspokeagain，askingaquestion，withsomeinternaltrepidationwhich，however，shemanagedtohidefromherhusband。’Whenpoorpapadoesgo，whatshallyoudoaboutStEwold’s？’
Now，StEwold’swasaruralparishlyingabouttwomilesoutofBarchester，thelivingofwhichwasinthegiftofthearchdeacon，andtowhichthearchdeaconhadpresentedtohisfather—in—law，undercertaincircumstances，whichneednotberepeatedinthislastchronicleofBarsetshire。Havetheynotbeenwritteninotherchronicles？’Whenpoorpapadoesgo，whatwillyoudoaboutStEwold’s？’saidMrsGrantly，tremblinginwardly。Awordtoomuchmight，asshewellknew，settlethequestionagainstMrCrawleyforever。Butwereshetopostponethewordtilltoolate，thequestionwouldbesettledasfatally。
’Ihaven’tthoughtaboutit，’hesaidsharply。’Idon’tlikethinkingofsuchthingswhiletheincumbentisstillliving。’Oh，archdeacon，archdeacon！Unlessthatotherchroniclebeafalsechronicle，howhastthouforgottenthyselfandthypastlife！’Particularlynot，whenthatincumbentisyourfather，’saidthearchdeacon。MrsGrantlysaidnothingmoreaboutStEwold’s。ShewouldhavesaidasmuchasshehadintendedtosayifshehadsucceededinmakingthearchdeaconunderstandthatStEwold’swouldbeaverynicerefugeforMrCrawleyafterallthemiserieswhichhehadenduredatHogglestock。
TheylearnedastheyenteredthedeanerythatMrsBaxterhadalreadyheardofMrsArabin’sreturn。’Ohyes，ma’am。MrHardinggotaletterhisself，andIgotanother——separate；bothfromVenice，ma’am。Butwhenmastercomenobodyseemstoknow。’MrsBaxterknewthatthedeanhadgonetoJerusalem，andwasinclinedtothinkthatfromsuchdistantbournestherewasnotreturntoanytraveller。TheEastisalwaysfurtherthantheWestintheestimationoftheMrsBaxtersoftheworld。
HadthedeangonetoCanada，shewouldhavethoughtthathemightcomebacktomorrow。ButstilltherewasthenewstobetoldofMrCrawley，andtherewasalsojoytobeexpressedatthesuddencomingbackofthemuch—wished—formistressofthedeanery。
’It’ssogoodofyoutocomebothtogether，’saidMrHarding。
’Wethoughtthatweshouldbetoomanyforyou，’saidthearchdeacon。
’Toomany！Ohdearno。Iliketohavepeoplebyme；andasforvoicesandnoise，andallthat，themorethebetter。ButIamweak。I’mweakinmylegs。Idon’tthinkIshalleverstandagain。’
’Yes，youwill，’saidthearchdeacon。
’Wehavebroughtgoodnews，’saidMrsGrantly。
’ItisnotgoodnewsthatNellywillbehomethisweek？Youcan’tunderstandwhatajoyitistome。Iusedtothinksometimes，atnight，thatIshouldneverseeheragain。ThatshewouldcomebackintimewasallIhavewishedfor。’Hewaslyingonhisback，andashespokehepressedhiswitheredhandstogetherabovethebed—clothes。TheycouldnotbeginimmediatelytotellhimofMrCrawley，butassoonashismindhadturneditselfawayfromthethoughtsofhisabsentdaughter，MrsGrantlyagainrevertedtothenews。’
’WehavecometotellyouaboutMrCrawley，papa。’
’Whatabouthim？’
’Heisquiteinnocent。’
’Iknewit，mydear。Ialwayssaidso。DidInotalwayssayso，archdeacon？’
’Indeedyoudid。I’llgiveyouthatcredit。’
’Andisitallfoundout？’askedMrHarding。
’Asfarasheisconcerned，everythingisfoundout，’saidMrsGrantly。
’Eleanorgavehimthechequeherself。’
’Nellygaveittohim？’
’Yes，papa。Thedeanmeanthertogivehimfiftypounds。Butitseemsshegottobesoftofheartandmadeitseventy。Shehadthechequebyher，andputitintotheenvelopewiththenotes。’
’SomeofStringer’speopleseemtohavestolenthechequefromMrSoames，’saidthearchdeacon。
’Ohdear，Ihopenot。’
’Somebodymusthavestolenit，papa。’
’Ihadhopednot，Susan，’saidMrHarding。BoththearchdeaconandMrsGrantlyknewthatitwasuselesstoarguewithhimonsuchapoint，andsotheyletthatgo。
ThentheycametodiscussMrCrawley’spresentposition，andMrHardingventuredtoaskaquestionortwoastoGrace’schanceofmarriage。Hedidnotofteninterfereinthefamilyarrangementsofhisson—in—lawandneverdidsowhenthosefamilyarrangementswereconcernedwithhighmatters。HehadhardlyopenedhismouthinreferencetothemarriageofthataugustladywhowasnowtheMarchionessofHartletop。AndoftheLadyAnne，thewifeoftheRevCharlesGrantly，whowasalwaysprodigiouslyciviltohim，speakingtohimveryloud，asthoughheweredeafbecausehewasold，andbringingcheappresentsfromLondonofwhichhedidnottakemuchheed——ofherherarelysaidaword，orofherchildren，toeitherofhisdaughters。Butnowhisgrandson，HenryGrantly，wasgoingtomarryagirlofwhomhefeltthathemightspeakwithoutimpropriety。’Isupposeitwillbeamatch；won’tit，mydears？’
’Notadoubtaboutit，’saidMrsGrantly。MrHardinglookedathisson—in—law，buthisson—in—lawsaidnothing。Thearchdeacondidnotevenfrown——butonlymovedalittleuneasilyinhischair。
’Dear，dear！Whatacomfortitmustbe，’saidtheoldman。
’Ihavenotseenyet，’saidMrsGrantly；’butthearchdeacondeclaresthatsheisallthegracesrolledintoone。’
’Ineversaidanythinghalfsoabsurd，’saidthearchdeacon。
’Butheisreallyinlovewithher，papa，’saidMrsGrantly。’Heconfessedtomethathegaveherakiss，andheonlysawheronceforfiveminutes。’
’Ishouldliketogiveherakiss，’saidMrHarding。
’Soyoushall，papa，andI’llbringherhereonpurpose。Assoonaseverthethingissettled，wemeantoaskhertoPlumstead。’
’Doyou，though？Hownice！HowhappyHenrywillbe。’
’Andifshecomes——andofcourseshewill——I’lllosenotimeinbringingherovertoyou。Nellymustseeher，ofcourse。’
AstheywereleavingtheroomMrHardingcalledthearchdeaconback，andtakinghimbythehand，spokeonewordtohiminawhisper。’Idon’tliketointerfere，’hesaid；’butmightnotMrCrawleyhaveStEwold’s？’
Thearchdeacontookuptheoldman’shandandkissedit。Thenhefollowedhiswifeoutoftheroom，withoutmakinganyanswertoMrHarding’squestion。
ThreedaysafterthisMrsArabinreachedthedeanery，andthejoyatherreturnwasverygreat。’Mydear，Ihavebeensickforyou，’saidMrHarding。
’Oh，papa，Ioughtnottohavegone。’
’Nay，mydear；donotsaythat。Woulditmakemyhappythatyoushouldbeaprisonerhereforever？ItwasonlywhenIseemedtogetsoweakthatIthoughtaboutit。Ifeltthatitmustbenearwhentheybademenottogotothecathedralanymore。’
’IfIhadbeenhere，Icouldhavegonewithyou，papa。’
’Itisbetterasitis。IknownowthatIwasnotfitforit。Whenyoursistercametome，Ineverthoughtofre...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：