’Hehasbeenathorninoursides，’saidMrsCrawley，unabletorestraintheexpressionofherdislikewhenMrThumble’snamewasmentioned。
’Nay，mydear，nay；——donotallowyourselftheuseoflanguagesostrongagainstabrother。Ourfleshatthattimewassomewhatpronetofester，andlittlethornsmadeusverysore。’
’Heisahorribleman，’saidJane，almostinawhisper；butthewordsweredistinctlyaudibletothedean。
’Theyneednotcomeanymore，’saidArabin。
’ThatiswhereIfearwediffer。Ithinktheymustcome——orsomeothersintheirplace——tillthebishopshallhaveexpressedhispleasuretothecontrary。Ihavesubmittedmyselftohislordship，and，havingdoneso，IfeelthatIcannotagaingoupintomypulpittillheshallhaveauthorisedmetodoso。Foratime，Arabin，Icombattedthebishop，believing——thenasnow——thatheputforthhishandagainstmeafterafashionwhichthelawhadnotsanctioned。AndImadeboldtostandinhispresenceandtellhimthatIwouldnotobeyhim，exceptinthingslegal。Butafterwards，whenheproceededformally，throughtheactionofacommission，Isubmittedmyself。AndIregardmyselfstillasbeingunderhissubmission。’
Itwasimpossibletoshakehim。Arabinremainedthereformorethananhour，tryingtopassontoanothersubject，butbeingconstantlybroughtbackbyMrCrawleyhimselftothefactofhisowndependentposition。
Norwouldhecondescendtosupplicatethebishop。Itwas，hesurmised，thedutyofDrTempest，togetherwiththeotherfourclergymen，toreporttothebishoponthequestionoftheallegedtheft；andthendoubtlessthebishop，whenhehaddulyconsideredthereport，and——asMrCrawleyseemedtothinkwasessentiallynecessary——hadsufficientlyrecoveredfromthegriefofhiswife’sdeath，would，athisleisure，communicatehisdecisiontoMrCrawley。NothingcouldbemorecompletethanMrCrawley’shumilitywithrespecttothebishop；andheneverseemedtobetiredofdeclaringthathehadsubmittedhimself！
Andthenthedean，findingittobevaintoexpecttobeleftalonewithMrCrawleyforamoment——invainalsotowaitforaproperopeningforthatwhichhehadtosay——rushedviolentlyathisothersubject。’Andnow，MrsCrawley，’hesaid。’MrsArabinwishesyoualltocomeovertothedeaneryforawhileandstaywithus。’
’MrsArabinistookind，’saidMrsCrawley，lookingacrossatherhusband。
’Weshouldlikeofallthings，’saidthedean，withperhapsmoreofgoodnaturethanoftruth。’Ofcourseyoumusthavebeenknockedaboutagooddeal。’
’Indeedwehave，’saidMrsCrawley。
’Andtillyouaresomewhatsettledagain，Ithinkthatthechangeofscenewouldbegoodforallofyou。Come，Crawley，I’lltalktoyoueveryeveningaboutJerusalemforaslongasyouplease；andthentherewillperhapscomebacktoussomethingofthepleasantnessofolddays。’
AssheheardthisMrsCrawley’seyesbecamefulloftears，andshecouldnotaltogetherhidethem。Whatshehadenduredduringthelastfourmonthshadalmostbrokenherspirit。Theburdenhadatlastbeentooheavyforherstrength。’Youcannotfancy，Crawley，howoftenIhavethoughtoftheolddaysandwishedthattheymightreturn。Ihavefounditveryhardtogetanopportunityofsayingsomuchtoyou；butIwillsayitnow。’
’Itmayhardlybeasyousay，’saidCrawley，grimly。
’Youmeanthattheolddayscanneverbebroughtback？’
’Assuredlytheycannot。ButitwasnotthatImeant。ItmaynotbethatIandmineshouldtransferourselvestoyourroofandsojournthere。’
’Whyshouldyounot？’
’Thereasonsaremany，andonthefaceofthings。Thereason，perhaps，themostonthefaceofitistobefoundinmywife’sgown，andinmycoat。’ThisMrCrawleysaidverygravely，lookingneithertotherightnortotheleftnoratthefaceofanyofthem，norathisowngarment，norhers，butstraightbeforehim；andwhenhehadsospokenhesaidnotawordfurther——notgoingontodilateonhispovertyasthedeanexpectedthathewoulddo。
’Atsuchatimesuchreasonsshouldstandfornothing，’saidthedean。
’Andwhynotnowastheyalwaysdo，andalwaysmusttillthepoweroftailorsshallhavewaned，andthedaughtersofEveshalltoilandspinnomore？Liketolikeistrue，andshouldbeheldtobetrue，ofallsocietiesandofallcompactsforco—operationandmutualliving。Here，where，ifImayventuretosayso，youandIareliketolike；——forthenewglossofyourcoat；——thedean，asithappened，hadonatthemomentaveryoldcoat，hisoldestcoat，selectedperhapswithsomeviewtothisspecialvisit——’doesnotobtrudeitselfinmyhousehold，aswouldbethethreadbaretextureofmineinyours；——Icanopenmymouthtoyouandconversewithyouatmyease；youarenowtomethatFrankArabinwhohassocomfortedmeandsooftenconfutedme；whomImayperhapsonoccasionhaveconfuted——andperhapshavecomforted。ButwereIsittingwithyouinyourlibraryinBarchester，mythreadbarecoatwouldbetoomuchforme。Ishouldbesilent，ifnotsullen。Ishouldfeeltheweightofallmypoverty，andthegreaterweightofallyourwealth。Formychildrenletthemgo。Ihavecometoknowthattheywillbebetterfromme。’
’Papa！’saidJane。
’Papadoesnotmeanit，’saidGrace，cominguptohimandstandingclosetohim。
Therewassilenceamongstthemforafewmoments，andthenthemasterofthehouseshookhimself——literallyshookhimself，tillhehadshakenoffthecloud。HehadtakenGracebythehand，andthrustingouttheotherarmhadgotitroundJane’swaist。’Whenamanhasgirls，Arabin，’hesaid，’asyouhave，butnotbiggirlsyetlikeGracehere，ofcourseheknowsthattheywillflyaway。’
’Ishallnotflyaway，’saidJane。
’Idon’tknowwhatpapameans，’saidGrace。
UponthewholethedeanthoughtitthepleasantestvisithehadevermadetoHogglestock，andwhenhegothomehetoldhiswifethathebelievedthattheaccusationmadeagainstMrCrawleyhaddonehimgood。
’Icouldnotsayawordinprivatetoher，’hesaid，’butIdidpromisethatyouwouldgooverandseeher。Ontheverynextday，MrsArabinwentover，andIthinkthatthevisitwasacomforttoMrsCrawley。
CHAPTERLXXX
MISSDEMOLINESDESIRESTOBEAFINGER—POST
JohnEameshadpassedMrsThorneinthehallofherownhousealmostwithoutnoticingherashetookhisdeparturefromLilyDale。Shehadtoldhimasplainlyaswordscouldspeakthatshecouldnotbringherselftobehiswife——andhehadbelievedher。Hehadsworntohimselfthatifhedidnotsucceedhewouldneveraskagain。’Itwouldbefoolishandunmanlytodoso，’hesaidtohimselfasherushedalongthestreettowardshisclub。No！Thatromancewasover。Atlasttherehadcomeanendtoit！’Ithastakenagoodbitoutofme，’hesaid，arrestinghisstepssuddenlythathemightstandstillandthinkofitall。’ByGeorge，yes！Amandoesn’tgothroughthatkindofthingwithoutlosingsomeofthecaloric。Icouldn’tdoitagainifanangelcameinmyway。’hewenttohisclub，andtriedtobejolly。Butashewalkedhomeatnight，andgavehimselftimetothinkoverwhathadtakenplacewithdeliberation，hestoppedinthegloomofadesertedstreetandleaningagainsttherailsburstintotears。Hehadreallylovedherandshewasnevertobehis。Hehadwantedher——anditissopainfulathingtomisswhatyouwantwhenyouhavedoneyourverybesttoobtainit！Tostruggleinvainalwayshurtsthepride；butthewoundmadebythevainstruggleforawomanissorerthananywoundsomade。Hegnashedhisteeth，andstrucktherailingswithhisstick；andthenhehurriedhome，swearingthathewouldnevergiveanotherthoughttoLilyDale。Inthedeadofthenight，thinkingofitstill，heaskedhimselfwhetheritwouldnotbeafinethingtowaitanothertenyears，andthengotoheragain。InsuchawaywouldhenotmakehimselfimmortalasaloverbeyondanyJacoborLeander？
Thenextdayhewenttohisofficeandwasverygrave。WhenSirR...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：