unreasonable。Buttheyhadtheirpointtogain，andthereforeonlyflatteredhim。TheywerequitesurethatMrThornewouldliketohaveaclergymanintheparishwhowouldhimselfbecloselyconnectedwiththearchdeacon。ThenDrGrantlyallegedthathemightfindhimselfinatrap。WhatifheconferredthelivingofStEwold’sonMrCrawleyandafterallthereshouldbenomarriagebetweenhissonandGrace？’Ofcoursethey’llbemarried，’saidMrsGrantly。’It’sallverywellforyoutosaythat，mydear；butthewholefamilyaresoqueerthatthereisnoknowingwhatthegirlmaydo。
Shemaytakeupsomeotherfadnow，andrefusehimpointblank。’’Shehasnevertakenupanyfad，’saidMrsGrantly，whonowmountedalmosttowrathindefenceofherfuturedaughter—in—law，’andyouarewrongtosaythatshehas。Shehasbehavedbeautifully：——asnobodyknowsbetterthanyoudo。’ThenthearchdeacongavewaysofarastopromisethatStEwold’sshouldbeofferedtoMrCrawleyassoonasGraceCrawleywasintruthengagedtoHenryGrantly。
Afterthat，thedeanwenttothepalace。Therehadneverbeenanyquarrellingbetweenthebishopandthedean，eitherdirectorindirect；——nor，indeed，hadthedeaneveryquarrelledevenwithMrsProudie。Buthehadbelongedtheanti—Proudiefaction。HehadbeenbroughtintothediocesebytheGrantlyinterest；andtherefore，duringMrsProudie’slifetime，hehadalwaysbeenaccountedamongtheenemies。
Therehadneverbeenanyrealintimacybetweenthehouses。Eachhousehadalwaysbeenaskedtodinewiththeotherhouseonceayear；butithadbeenunderstoodthatsuchdiningswereecclesiastico—official，andnotfriendly。TherehadbeenthesameoutsidediocesancivilitybetweeneventhepalaceandPlumstead。Butnow，whenthegreatchieftainofthepalacewasnomore，andthestrengthofthepalacefactionwasgone，peace，orperhapssomethingmorethanpeace——amity，perhaps，mightbemoreeasilyarrangedwiththedeanthanwiththearchdeacon。InpreparationforsucharrangementsthebishophadgonetoMrHarding’sfuneral。
Andnowthedeanwenttothepalaceatthebishop’sbehest。Hefoundhislordshipalone，andwasreceivedwithalmostreverentialcourtesy。
Hethoughtthatthebishopwaslookingwonderfullyagedsincehelastsawhim，butdidnotperhapstakeintoaccounttheabsenceofclericalsleeknesswhichwasincidentaltothebishop’sprivatelifeinhisprivateroom，andperhapsinacertainmeasuretohisrecentaffliction。
ThedeanhadbeeninthehabitofregardingDrProudieasamanalmostyoungforhisage——havingbeeninthehabitofseeinghimathisbest，clothedinauthority，redolentofthethrone，conspicuousasregardedhisapronandoutwardsignsofepiscopality。Muchofthiswasnowabsent。Thebishop，asherosetogreetthedean，shuffledwithhisoldslippers，andhishairwasnotbrushedsobecominglyasusedtobethecasewhenMrsProudiewasalwaysnearhim。
Itwasnecessarythatawordshouldbesaidbyeachastothelosswhichtheotherhadsuffered。’MrDean，’saidhislordship，’allowmetoofferyoumycondolementsinregardtothedeathofthatveryexcellentclergymanandmostworthygentleman，yourfather—in—law。’
’Thankyou，mylord。Hewasexcellentandworthy。IdonotsupposethatIshalllivetoseeanymanwhowasmoreso。Youalsohaveagreat——aterribleloss。’
’Oh，MrDean，yes；yes，indeed，MrDean。Thatwasaloss。’
’Andhardlypasttheprimeoflife！’
’Ah，yes；——justfifty—six——andsostrong！Wasshenot？Atleasteverybodythoughtso。Andyetshewasgoneinaminute；——goneinaminute。Ihaven’theldmyheadupsince，MrDean。’
’Itwasagreatloss，mylord；butyoumuststruggletobearit。’
’Idostruggle。Iamstruggling。Butitmakesonefeelsolonelyinthisgreathouse。Ahme！Ioftenwish，MrDean，thatithadpleasedProvidencetohaveleftmeinsomehumbleparsonage，wheredutywouldhavebeeneasierthanitishere。ButIwillnottroubleyouwithallthat。Whatarewetodo，MrDean，aboutthispoorMrCrawley。’
’MrCrawleyisaveryoldfriendofmine，andaverydearfriend。’
’Ishe？Ah！Averyworthyman，Iamsure，andonewhohasbeenmuchtriedbyundeservedadversities。’
’Mostseverely，mylord。’
’Sittingamongthepotsherds，likeJob；hashenot，MrDean？Well；letushopethatisallover。Whenthisaccusationabouttherobberywasbroughtagainsthim，Ifoundmyselfboundtointerfere。’
’Hehasnocomplaintonthatscore。’
’Ihopenot。Ihavenotwishedtobeharsh，butwhatcouldIdo，MrDean？Theytoldmethatthecivilauthoritiesfoundtheevidencesostrongagainsthimthatitcouldnotbewithstood。’
’Itwasverystrong。’
’Andwethoughtthatheshouldatleastberelieved，andwesentforDrTempest，whoishisruraldean。’ThenthebishoprememberingallthecircumstancesofthatinterviewwiththeDrTempest——astowhichhehadeverfeltassuredthatoneoftheresultswasthedeathofhiswife，wherebytherewasnolongerany’we’leftinthepalaceofBarchester——sighedpiteously，lookingatthedeanwithahopelessface。
’Nobodydoubts，mylord，thatyouactedforthebest。’
’Ihopewedid。Ithinkwedid。Andnowwhatwillwedo？Hehasresignedhisliving，bothtoyouandtome，asIhear——youbeingthepatron。Itwillsimplybenecessary，Ithink，thatheshouldasktohavetheletterscancelled。Then，asItakeit，thereneedbenorestitution。
Youcannotthink，MrDean，howmuchIhavethoughtaboutitall。’
Thenthedeanunfoldedhisbudget，andexplainedtothebishophowhehopedthatthelivingofStEwold’s，whichwas，aftersomeecclesiasticalfashion，attachedtotherectoryofPlumstead，andwhichwasnowvacantbythedemiseofMrHarding，mightbeconferredbythearchdeaconuponMrCrawley。Itwasnecessarytoexplainalsothatthiscouldnotbedonequiteimmediately，andindoingthisthedeanencounteredsomelittledifficulty。Thearchdeacon，hesaid，wishedtobeallowedanotherweektothinkaboutit；andthereforeperhapsprovisionforthedutiesofHogglestockmightyetbemadeforafewSundays。Thebishop，thedeansaid，mighteasilyunderstandthat，afterwhathasoccurred，MrCrawleywouldhardlywishtogoagainintothatpulpit，unlesshedidsoasresumingduties，whichwouldnecessarilybepermanentwithhim。Toallthisthebishopassented，buthewasapparentlystruckwithmuchwonderatthechoicemadebythearchdeacon。
’Ishouldhavethought，MrDean，’hesaid，’thatMrCrawleywasthelastmantohavesuitedthearchdeacon’schoice。’
’ThearchdeaconandImarriedsisters，mylord。’
’Oh，ah！yes。AndheputsthenominationofStEwold’satyourdisposition。IamsureIshallbedelightedtoinstitutesoworthyagentlemanasMrCrawley。’Thenthedeantookhisleaveofthebishop——aswewillalso。Poordearbishop！Iaminclinedtothinkthathewasrightinhisregretsastothelittleparsonage。NotthathisfailureatBarchester，andhispresentconsciousnessoflonelyincompetence，weremainlyduetoanypositiveinefficiencyonhisownpart。Hemighthavebeenasufficientlygoodbishop，haditnotbeenthatMrsProudiewassomuchmoreasufficientlygoodbishop’swife。Wewillnowsayfarewelltohim，withahopethattheloppedtreemayyetbecomegreenagain，andtosomeextentfruitful，althoughallitsbeautifulheadandrichnessofwavingfoliagehavebeentakenfromit。
AboutaweekafterthisHenryGrantlyrodeoverfromCosbyLodgetoHogglestock。IthasjustbeensaidthatthoughtheassizeshadpassedbyandthoughallquestionofMrCrawley’sguiltwasnowsetaside，novisitorhadoflatemadehiswayovertoHogglestock。IfancythatGraceCrawleyforgot，inthefullnessofhermemoryastootherthings，thatMrHarding，ofwhosedeathsheheard，hadbeenherlover’sgrandfather——andthatthereforetheremightpossiblybesomedelay。Hadtherebeenmuchsaidbetweenthemotherandthedaughteraboutthelover，nodoubtallthiswou...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：