CHAPTERLXXXIII
MRCRAWLEYISCONQUERED
ItwasmorethanaweekbeforethearchdeaconreceivedareplyfromMrCrawley，duringwhichtimethedeanhadbeenovertoHogglestockmorethanonce，ashadalsoMrsArabinandLadyLuftontheyounger——andtherehadbeenletterswrittenwithoutend，andthearchdeaconhadbeennearlybesidehimself。’Amanwhopretendstoconscientiousscruplesofthatkindisnotfittohaveaparish，’hehadsaidtohiswife。Hiswifeunderstoodwhathemeant，andItrustthatthereadermayalsounderstandit。Intheordinarycuttingofblocksaveryfinerazorisnotanappropriateinstrument。Thearchdeacon，moreover，lovedthetemporalitiesoftheChurchastemporalities。TheChurchwasbeautifultohimbecauseonemanbyinterestmighthaveathousandayear，whileanothermanequallygood，butwithoutinterest，couldonlyhaveahundred。Andhelikedthemenwhohadtheinterestagreatdealbetterthanthemenwhohaditnot。Hehadbeenwillingtoadmitthepoorperpetualcurate，whohadsolongbeenkeptoutinthecold，withinthepleasantcirclewhichwaswarmwithecclesiasticalgoodthings，andthemanhesitated——becauseofscruples，asthedeantoldhim！’IalwaysbuttonupmypocketwhenIhearofscruples，’thearchdeaconsaid。
ButatlastMrCrawleycondescendedtoacceptStEwold’s。
’Reverendanddearsir，’hesaidinhisletter：’Forthepersonalbenevolenceoftheoffermadetomeinyourletterofthe——instant，Ibegtotenderyoumymostgratefulthanks；asalsoforyougenerouskindnesstome，intellingmeofthehighpraisebestoweduponmebyagentlemanwhoisnownomore——whosecharacterIhaveesteemedandwhosegoodopinionIvalue。Thereis，methinks，somethinginexpressiblydeartomeintherecordedpraiseofthedead。ForthefurtherinstanceofthefriendshipoftheDeanofBarchester，Iamalsothankful。
’SincethereceiptofyourletterIhavedoubtedmuchastomyfitnessfortheworkyouhaveproposedtoentrusttome——notfromanyfeelingthattheparishofStEwold’smaybebeyondmyintellectualpower，butbecausethelattercircumstancesofmylifehavebeenofanaturesostrangeandperplexingthattheyhaveleftmesomewhatindoubtastomyownaptitudeforgoingaboutamongmenwithoutgivingoffenceandbecomingastumblingblock。
’Nevertheless，reverendanddearsir，ifafterthisconfessiononmypartofacertainfaultydemeanourwithwhichIknowwellthatIamafflicted，youarestillwillingtoputtheparishintomyhands，Iwillacceptthecharge——instigatedtodosobytheadviceofallwhomIhaveconsultedonthesubject；and，inthusacceptingit，I
herebypledgemyselftovacateitatamonth’swarning，shouldIbecalleduponbyyoutodosoatanyperiodwithinthenexttwoyears。ShouldIbesofarsuccessfulduringthosetwenty—fourmonthsastohavesatisfiedbothyourselfandmyself，Imaythenperhapsventuretoregardtheprefermentasmyowninperpetuityforlife；——Ihavethehonourtobe，reverendanddearsir，youmosthumbleandfaithfulservant，’JOSIAHCRAWLEY’
’Psha！’saidthearchdeacon，whoprofessedthathedidnotatallliketheletter。’IwonderwhathewouldsayifIsenthimamonth’snoticeatnextMichaelmas？’
’I’msurehewouldgo，’saidMrsGrantly。
’Themorefoolhe，’saidthearchdeacon。
AtthistimeGracewasattheparsonageinaseventhheavenofhappiness。Thearchdeaconwasneverroughtoher，nordidhemakeanyofhisharshremarksaboutherfatherinherpresence。BeforeherStEwold’swasspokenofasthehomethatwastobelongtotheCrawleysforthenexttwentyyears。MrsGrantlywasverylovingwithher，lavishinguponherprettypresents，andwordsthatwereprettierthanpresents。
Grace’slifehadhithertobeensodestituteofthoseprettinessesandsoftnesseswhichcanhardlybehadwithoutmoneythoughmoneyalonewillnotpurchasethem，thatitseemedtohernowthattheheavensrainedgraciousnessuponher。Itwasnotthatthearchdeacon’swatchorherlover’schain，orMrsGrantly’slocket，orthelittletoyfromItalywhichMrsArabinbroughttoherfromthetreasuresofthedeanery，filledherheartwithundueexaltation。Itwasnotthatsherevelledinhernewdelightsofsilverandgoldandshininggems；butthatthesilverandgoldandshininggemswereconstantindicationstoherthatthingshadchanged，notonlyforher，butforherfatherandmother，andbrotherandsister。Shefeltnowmoresurethaneverthatshecouldnothaveenjoyedherlovehadsheacceptedherloverwhilethedisgraceoftheaccusationagainstherfatherremained。Butnow——havingwaitedtillthathadpassedaway，everythingwasanewhappinesstoher。
AtlastitwassettledthatMrandMrsCrawleyweretocometoPlumstead——andtheycame。itwouldbetoolongtotellnowhowgraduallyhadcomeaboutthatchangedstateofthingswhichmadesuchavisitpossible。MrCrawleyhadatfirstdeclaredthatsuchathingwasoutofthequestion。IfStEwold’swastodependuponitStEwold’smustbegivenup。AndIthinkthatitwouldhavebeenimpossibleforhimtogodirectfromHogglestocktoPlumstead。Butitfelloutafterthiswise。
MrHarding’scurateatStEwold’swasnominatedtoHogglestock，andthedeanurgeduponhisfriendCrawleytheexpediencyofgivingupthehouseasquicklyashecoulddoso。GraduallyatthistimeMrCrawleyhadbeenforcedintoacertainamountofintimacywiththehauntsofmen。HehadbeentwiceorthriceatBarchester，andhadlunchedwiththedean。HehadbeenatFramleyforanhourortwo，andhadbeenforcedintosomecommunicationwitholdMrThorne，thesquireofhisnewparish。Theendofthishadbeenthathehadatlastconsentedtotransferhimselfandwifeanddaughtertothedeaneryforafortnight。HehadpreachedonefarewellsermonatHogglestock——not，ashetoldhisaudience，astheirpastor，whichhehadceasedtobenowforsometwoorthreemonths——butastheiroldandlovingfriend，towhomtheuseofhisformerpulpithadbeenlent，thathemightexpresshimselfthusamongthemforthelasttime。Hissermonwasveryshort，andwaspreachedwithoutbookornotes——butheneveroncepausedforawordorhaltedinthestringorrhythmofhisdiscourse。Thedeanwasthereanddeclaredafterwardsthathehadnotgivenhimcreditforsuchpowersofutterance。’Anymancanutteroutofafullheart，’Crawleyhadanswered。’Inthistrumperyaffairaboutmyself，myheartisfull！Ifwecouldonlyhaveourheartsfullinothermatters，ourutterancesthereanentwouldreceivemoreattention。’Toallofthisthedeanmadenoreply。
OnthedayafterthistheCrawleystooktheirfinaldeparturefromHogglestock，allthebrickmakersfromHoggleEndhavingassembledontheoccasion，withapursecontainingseventeenpoundssevenshillingsandsixpence，whichtheyinsistedonpresentingtoMrCrawley，andastowhichtherewasalittledifficulty。Andatthedeanerytheyremainedforafortnight。HowMrsCrawley，undertheguidanceofMrsArabin，hadtheresofartrenchedupontherevenuesofStEwold’sastoprovideforherhusbandandherselfraimentfittingfortheworldlysplendourofPlumstead，neednotherebetoldindetail。Sufficetosay，theraimentwasforthcoming，andMrCrawleyfoundhimselftobetheperplexedpossessorofablackdresscoat，inadditiontothelongfrock，comingnearlytohisfeet，whichwasprovidedforhisdailywear。Touchingthisgarment，therehadbeensomediscussionbetweenthedeanandthenewvicar。Thedeanhaddesiredthatitshouldbecurtailedinlength。Thevicarhadremonstrated——butstillwithsomethingoftheweaknessofcomplianceinhiseye。Thenthedeanhadpersisted。’Surelythepriceoftheclothwantedtoperfectthecomelinessofthegarmentcannotbemuch，’saidthevicar，almostwoefully。Afterthat，thedeanrelented，andthecomelinessofthecoatwasmadeperfect。Thenewblacklongfrock，Ithink，MrCrawleyliked；butthedresscoat，withthesuitcomplete，perplexedhimsorely。
Withhisnewcoat，andsomethingalso，ofnewmanners，heandhiswifewentovertoPlumstead，leavingJaneatthedeanerywithMrsArabin。ThedeanalsowenttoPlumstead。Theyarrivedtherenotmuchbeforedinner，andasGracewastherebeforethemthefirstmomentswerenotsobad。
BeforeMrCrawleyhadhadtimetofeelhimselflostinthedrawing—room，hewassummonedawaytopreparehimselffordinner——fordinner，andforthecoat，whichatthedeaneryhehadbeenallowedtoleaveunworn。’I
wouldwithallmyheartthatImightretiretorest，’hesaidtohiswife，whentheceremonyhadbeenperfected。
’Donotsayso。Godownandtakeyourplacewiththem，andspeakyourmindwiththem——asyousowellknowhow。Whoamongthemcandoitsowell？’
’Ihavebeentold，’saidMrCrawley，’thatyoushalltakeacockwhichislordofthefarmyard——thecockofallthatwalk——andwhenyouhavedaubedhisfeatherswithmud，heshallbethrashedbyeverydunghillcoward。IsaynotthatIwaseverthecockofthewalk，butIknowthattheyhavedaubedmyfeathers。’Thenhewentdownamongtheotherpoultryinthefar...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：