第3章

Howmuchsweetsolace，howmuchvaluedcounselhasourarchdeaconreceivedwithinthatsaintedenclosure！’Tistherealonethatheunbends，andcomesdownfromhishighchurchpedestaltothelevelofamortalman。IntheworldDrGrantlyneverlaysasidethatdemeanourwhichsowellbecomeshim。

Hehasallthedignityofanancientsaintwiththesleeknessofamodernbishop；heisalwaysthesame；heisalwaysthearchdeacon；unlikeHomer，henevernods。Evenwithhisfather-in-law，evenwiththebishopanddean，hemaintainsthatsonoroustoneandloftydeportmentwhichstrikesaweintotheyoungheartsofBarchester，andabsolutelycowsthewholeparishofPlumsteadEpiscopi。’Tisonlywhenhehasexchangedthatever-newshovelhatforatassellednightcap，andthoseshiningblackhabilimentsforhisaccustomedrobedenuit，thatDrGrantlytalks，andlooks，andthinkslikeanordinaryman。

Manyofushaveoftenthoughthowsevereatrialoffaithmustthisbetothewivesofourgreatchurchdignitaries。TousthesemenarepersonificationsofStPaul；theirverygaitisaspeakingsermon；theircleanandsombreapparelexactsfromusfaithandsubmission，andthecardinalvirtuesseemtohoverroundtheirsacredhats。Adeanorarchbishop，inthegarbofhisorder，issureofourreverence，andawell-got-upbishopfillsourverysoulswithawe。Buthowcanthisfeelingbeperpetuatedinthebosomsofthosewhoseethebishopswithouttheiraprons，andthearchdeaconseveninalowerstateofdishabille？

Dowenotallknowsomereverend，allbutsacred，personagebeforewhomourtongueceasestobeloudandoursteptobeelastic？Butwereweoncetoseehimstretchhimselfbeneaththebed-clothes，yawnwidely，andburyhisfaceuponhispillow，wecouldchatterbeforehimasgliblyasbeforeadoctororalawyer。Fromsomesuchcause，doubtless，itarosethatourarchdeaconlistenedtothecounselsofhiswife，thoughheconsideredhimselfentitledtogivecounseltoeveryotherbeingwhomhemet。

’Mydear，’hesaid，asheadjustedthecopiousfoldsofhisnightcap，’therewasthatJohnBoldatyourfather’sagaintoday。Imustsayyourfatherisveryimprudent。’

’Heisimprudent——healwayswas，’repliedMrsGrantly，speakingfromunderthecomfortablebed-clothes。’There’snothingnewinthat。’

’No，mydear，there’snothingnew——Iknowthat；but，atthepresentjunctureofaffairs，suchimprudenceis——is——I’lltellyouwhat，mydear，ifhedoesnottakecarewhathe’sabout，JohnBoldwillbeoffwithEleanor。’

’Ithinkhewill，whetherpapatakescareorno；andwhynot？’

’Whynot！’almostscreamedthearchdeacon，givingsoroughapullathisnightcapasalmosttobringitoverhisnose；

’whynot！-thatpestilent，interferingupstart，JohnBold——themostvulgaryoungpersonIevermet！Doyouknowthatheismeddlingwithyourfather’saffairsinamostuncalled-for——

most——’Andbeingatalossforanepithetsufficientlyinjurious，hefinishedhisexpressionsofhorrorbymuttering，’Goodheavens！’inamannerthathadbeenfoundveryefficaciousinclericalmeetingsofthediocese。Hemustforthemomenthaveforgottenwherehewas。

’Astohisvulgarity，archdeacon’(MrsGrantlyhadneverassumedamorefamiliartermthanthisinaddressingherhusband)，’Idon’tagreewithyou。NotthatIlikeMrBold——heisagreatdealtooconceitedforme；butthenEleanordoes，anditwouldbethebestthingintheworldforpapaiftheyweretomarry。BoldwouldnevertroublehimselfaboutHiram’sHospitalifhewerepapa’sson-in-law。’Andtheladyturnedherselfroundunderthebed-clothes，inamannertowhichthedoctorwaswellaccustomed，andwhichtoldhim，asplainlyaswords，thatasfarasshewasconcernedthesubjectwasoverforthatnight。

’Goodheavens！’murmuredthedoctoragain——hewasevidentlymuchputbesidehimself。

DrGrantlyisbynomeansabadman；heisexactlythemanwhichsuchaneducationashiswasmostlikelytoform；

hisintellectbeingsufficientforsuchaplaceintheworld，butnotsufficienttoputhiminadvanceofit。Heperformswitharigidconstancysuchofthedutiesofaparishclergymanasare，tohisthinking，abovethesphereofhiscurate，butitisasanarchdeaconthatheshines。

Webelieve，asageneralrule，thateitherabishoporhisarchdeaconshavesinecures:whereabishopworks，archdeaconshavebutlittletodo，andviceversa。InthedioceseofBarchestertheArchdeaconofBarchesterdoesthework。Inthatcapacityheisdiligent，authoritative，and，ashisfriendsparticularlyboast，judicious。Hisgreatfaultisanoverbearingassuranceofthevirtuesandclaimsofhisorder，andhisgreatfoibleisanequallystrongconfidenceinthedignityofhisownmannerandtheeloquenceofhisownwords。Heisamoralman，believingthepreceptswhichheteaches，andbelievingalsothatheactsuptothem；thoughwecannotsaythathewouldgivehiscoattothemanwhotookhiscloak，orthatheispreparedtoforgivehisbrotherevenseventimes。Heissevereenoughinexactinghisdues，consideringthatanylaxityinthisrespectwouldendangerthesecurityofthechurch；and，couldhehavehisway，hewouldconsigntodarknessandperdition，notonlyeveryindividualreformer，buteverycommitteeandeverycommissionthatwouldevendaretoaskaquestionrespectingtheappropriationofchurchrevenues。

’Theyarechurchrevenues:thelaityadmitit。Surelythechurchisabletoadministerherownrevenues。’’Twasthushewasaccustomedtoargue，whenthesacrilegiousdoingsofLordJohnRussellandotherswerediscussedeitheratBarchesteroratOxford。

ItwasnowonderthatDrGrantlydidnotlikeJohnBold，andthathiswife’ssuggestionthatheshouldbecomecloselyconnectedwithsuchamandismayedhim。Togivehimhisdue，thearchdeaconneverwantedcourage；hewasquitewillingtomeethisenemyonanyfieldandwithanyweapon。

Hehadthatbeliefinhisownargumentsthathefeltsureofsuccess，couldheonlybesureofafairfightonthepartofhisadversary。HehadnoideathatJohnBoldcouldreallyprovethattheincomeofthehospitalwasmalappropriated；why，then，shouldpeacebesoughtforonsuchbaseterms？What！

bribeanunbelievingenemyofthechurchwiththesister-in-lawofonedignitaryandthedaughterofanother——withayoungladywhoseconnectionswiththedioceseandchapterofBarchesterweresocloseastogiveheranundeniableclaimtoahusbandendowedwithsomeofitssacredwealth！WhenDrGrantlytalksofunbelievingenemies，hedoesnotmeantoimplywantofbeliefinthedoctrinesofthechurch，butanequallydangerousscepticismastoitspurityinmoneymatters。

MrsGrantlyisnotusuallydeaftotheclaimsofthehighordertowhichshebelongs。Sheandherhusbandrarelydisagreeastothetonewithwhichthechurchshouldbedefended；

howsingular，then，thatinsuchacaseasthissheshouldbewillingtosuccumb！Thearchdeaconagainmurmurs’Goodheavens！’ashelayshimselfbesideher，buthedoessoinavoiceaudibleonlytohimself，andherepeatsittillsleeprelieveshimfromdeepthought。

MrHardinghimselfhasseennoreasonwhyhisdaughtershouldnotloveJohnBold。Hehasnotbeenunobservantofherfeelings，andperhapshisdeepestregretatthepartwhichhefearsBoldisabouttotakeregardingthehospitalarisesfromthedreadthathemaybeseparatedfromhisdaughter，orthatshemaybeseparatedfromthemansheloves。HehasneverspokentoEleanoraboutherlover；heisthelastmanintheworldtoalludetosuchasubjectunconsulted，evenwithhisowndaughter；andhadheconsideredthathehadgroundtodisapproveofBold，hewouldhaveremovedher，orforbiddenhimhishouse；buthesawnosuchground。Hewouldprobablyhavepreferredasecondclericalson-in-law，forMrHarding，also，isattachedtohisorder；and，failinginthat，hewouldatanyratehavewishedthatsonearaconnectionshouldhavethoughtalikewithhimonchurchmatters。Hewouldnot，however，rejectthemanhisdaughterlovedbecausehedifferedonsuchsubjectswithhimself。

HithertoBoldhadtakennostepsinthematterinanywayannoyingtoMrHardingpersonally。Somemonthssince，afteraseverebattle，whichcosthimnotalittlemoney，hegainedavictoryoveracertainoldturnpikewomanintheneighbourhood，ofwhosechargesanotheroldwomanhadcomplainedtohim。HegottheActofParliamentrelatingtothetrust，foundthathisprotegeehadbeenwronglytaxed，rodethroughthegatehimself，payingthetoll，thenbroughtanactionagainstthegate-keeper，andprovedthatallpeoplecomingupacertainby-lane，andgoingdownacertainotherby-lane，weretoll-free。Thefameofhissuccessspreadwidelyabroad，andhebegantobelookedonastheupholderoftherightsofthepoorofBarchester。Notlongafterthissuccess，heheardfromdifferentquartersthatHiram’sbedesmenweretreatedaspaupers，whereasthepropertytowhichtheywere，ineffect，heirswasverylarge；andhewasinstigatedbythelawyerwhomhehademployedinthecaseoftheturnpiketocalluponMrChadwickforastatementastothefundsoftheestate。

Boldhadoftenexpressedhisindignationatthemalappropriationofchurchfundsingeneral，inthehearingofhisfriendtheprecentor；buttheconversationhadneverreferredtoanythingatBarchester；andwhenFinney，theattorney，inducedhimtointerferewiththeaffairsofthehospital，itwasagainstMrChadwickthathiseffortsweretobedirected。

BoldsoonfoundthatifheinterferedwithMrChadwickassteward，hemustalsointerferewithMrHardingaswarden；

andthoughheregrettedthesituationinwhichthiswouldplacehim，hewasnotthemantoflinchfromhisundertakingfrompersonalmotives。

Assoonashehaddeterminedtotakethematterinhand，hesetabouthisworkwithhisusualenergy。HegotacopyofJohnHiram’swill，ofthewordingofwhichhemadehimselfperfectlymaster。Heascertainedtheextentoftheproperty，andasnearlyashecouldthevalueofit；andmadeoutascheduleofwhathewasinformedwasthepresentdistributionofitsincome。Armedwiththeseparticulars，hecalledonMrChadwick，havinggiventhatgentlemannoticeofhisvisit；

andaskedhimforastatementoftheincomeandexpenditureofthehospitalforthelasttwenty-fiveyears。

Thiswasofcourserefused，MrChadwickallegingthathehadnoauthorityformakingpublictheconcernsofapropertyinmanagingwhichhewasonlyapaidservant。

’Andwhoiscompetenttogiveyouthatauthority，MrChadwick？’

askedBold。

’Onlythosewhoemployme，MrBold，’saidthesteward。

’Andwhoarethose，MrChadwick？’demandedBold。

MrChadwickbeggedtosaythatiftheseinquiriesweremademerelyoutofcuriosity，hemustdeclineansweringthem: