第4章

ifMrBoldhadanyulteriorproceedinginview，perhapsitwouldbedesirablethatanynecessaryinformationshouldbesoughtforinaprofessionalwaybyaprofessionalman。MrChadwick’sattorneyswereMessrsCoxandCummins，ofLincoln’sInn。MrBoldtookdowntheaddressofCoxandCummins，remarkedthattheweatherwascoldforthetimeoftheyear，andwishedMrChadwickgood-morning。MrChadwicksaiditwascoldforJune，andbowedhimout。

Heatoncewenttohislawyer，Finney。Now，Boldwasnotveryfondofhisattorney，but，ashesaid，hemerelywantedamanwhoknewtheformsoflaw，andwhowoulddowhathewastoldforhismoney。Hehadnoideaofputtinghimselfinthehandsofalawyer。Hewantedlawfromalawyerashedidacoatfromatailor，becausehecouldnotmakeitsowellhimself；andhethoughtFinneythefittestmaninBarchesterforhispurpose。Inonerespect，atanyrate，hewasright:

Finneywashumilityitself。

FinneyadvisedaninstantlettertoCoxandCummins，mindfulofhissix-and-eightpence。’Slapatthematonce，MrBold。Demandcategoricallyandexplicitlyafullstatementoftheaffairsofthehospital。’

’SupposeIweretoseeMrHardingfirst，’suggestedBold。

’Yes，yes，byallmeans，’saidtheacquiescingFinney；

’though，perhaps，asMrHardingisnomanofbusiness，itmaylead——leadtosomelittledifficulties；butperhapsyou’reright。

MrBold，Idon’tthinkseeingMrHardingcandoanyharm。’

Finneysawfromtheexpressionofhisclient’sfacethatheintendedtohavehisownway。

TheBishopofBarchesterBoldatoncerepairedtothehospital。Thedaywasnowfaradvanced，butheknewthatMrHardingdinedinthesummeratfour，thatEleanorwasaccustomedtodriveintheevening，andthathemightthereforeprobablyfindMrHardingalone。Itwasbetweensevenandeightwhenhereachedtheslightirongateleadingintotheprecentor’sgarden，andthough，asMrChadwickobserved，thedayhadbeencoldforJune，theeveningwasmild，andsoft，andsweet。Thelittlegatewasopen。AsheraisedthelatchheheardthenotesofMrHarding’svioloncellofromthefarendofthegarden，and，advancingbeforethehouseandacrossthelawn，hefoundhimplaying:andnotwithoutanaudience。Themusicianwasseatedinagarden-chairjustwithinthesummer-house，soastoallowthevioloncellowhichheheldbetweenhiskneestorestuponthedrystoneflooring；beforehimstoodaroughmusicdesk，onwhichwasopenapageofthatdearsacredbook，thatmuch-labouredandmuch-lovedvolumeofchurchmusic，whichhadcostsomanyguineas；andaroundsat，andlay，andstood，andleaned，tenofthetwelveoldmenwhodweltwithhimbeneatholdJohnHiram’sroof。Thetworeformerswerenotthere。Iwillnotsaythatintheirheartstheywereconsciousofanywrongdoneortobedonetotheirmildwarden，butlatterlytheyhadkeptalooffromhim，andhismusicwasnolongertotheirtaste。

Itwasamusingtoseethepositions，andeagerlisteningfacesofthesewell-to-dooldmen。Iwillnotsaythattheyallappreciatedthemusicwhichtheyheard，buttheywereintentonappearingtodoso；pleasedatbeingwheretheywere，theyweredetermined，asfarasinthemlay，togivepleasureinreturn；andtheywerenotunsuccessful。Itgladdenedtheprecentor’shearttothinkthattheoldbedesmenwhomhelovedsowelladmiredthestrainswhichweretohimsofullofalmostecstaticjoy；andheusedtoboastthatsuchwastheairofthehospital，astomakeitaprecinctspeciallyfitfortheworshipofStCecilia。

Immediatelybeforehim，ontheextremecornerofthebenchwhichranroundthesummer-house，satoneoldman，withhishandkerchiefsmoothlylainuponhisknees，whodidenjoythemoment，oractedenjoymentwell。Hewasoneonwhoselargeframemanyyears，forhewasovereighty，hadmadesmallhavoc——hewasstillanupright，burly，handsomefigure，withanopen，ponderousbrow，roundwhichclungafew，thoughveryfew，thingraylocks。Thecoarseblackgownofthehospital，thebreeches，andbuckledshoesbecamehimwell；andashesatwithhishandsfoldedonhisstaff，andhischinrestingonhishands，hewassuchalistenerasmostmusicianswouldbegladtowelcome。

Thismanwascertainlytheprideofthehospital。Ithadalwaysbeenthecustomthatoneshouldbeselectedasbeingtosomeextentinauthorityovertheothers；andthoughMrBunce，forsuchwashisname，andsohewasalwaysdesignatedbyhisinferiorbrethren，hadnogreateremolumentsthanthey，hehadassumed，andwellknewhowtomaintain，thedignityofhiselevation。Theprecentordelightedtocallhimhissub-warden，andwasnotashamed，occasionally，whennootherguestwasthere，tobidhimsitdownbythesameparlourfire，anddrinkthefullglassofportwhichwasplacednearhim。Bunceneverwentwithoutthesecondglass，butnoentreatyevermadehimtakeathird。

’Well，well，MrHarding；you’retoogood，muchtoogood，’

he’dalwayssay，asthesecondglasswasfilled；butwhenthatwasdrunk，andthehalfhourover，Buncestooderect，andwithabenedictionwhichhispatronvalued，retiredtohisownabode。Heknewtheworldtoowelltoriskthecomfortofsuchhalcyonmoments，byprolongingthemtilltheyweredisagreeable。

MrBunce，asmaybeimagined，wasmoststronglyopposedtoinnovation。NotevenDrGrantlyhadamoreholyhorrorofthosewhowouldinterfereintheaffairsofthehospital；hewaseveryinchachurchman，andthoughhewasnotveryfondofDrGrantlypersonally，thatarosefromtherenotbeingroominthehospitalfortwopeoplesomuchalikeasthedoctorandhimself，ratherthanfromanydissimilarityinfeeling。MrBuncewasinclinedtothinkthatthewardenandhimselfcouldmanagethehospitalwithoutfurtherassistance；andthat，thoughthebishopwastheconstitutionalvisitor，andassuchentitledtospecialreverencefromallconnectedwithJohnHiram’swill，JohnHiramneverintendedthathisaffairsshouldbeinterferedwithbyanarchdeacon。

Atthepresentmoment，however，thesecareswereoffhismind，andhewaslookingathiswarden，asthoughhethoughtthemusicheavenly，andthemusicianhardlylessso。

AsBoldwalkedsilentlyoverthelawn，MrHardingdidnotatfirstperceivehim，andcontinuedtodrawhisbowslowlyacrosstheplaintivewires；buthesoonfoundfromhisaudiencethatsomestrangerwasthere，andlookingup，begantowelcomehisyoungfriendwithfrankhospitality。

’Pray，MrHarding——praydon’tletmedisturbyou，’saidBold；’youknowhowfondIamofsacredmusic。’

’Oh！it’snothing，’saidtheprecentor，shuttingupthebookandthenopeningitagainashesawthedelightfullyimploringlookofhisoldfriendBunce。Oh，Bunce，Bunce，Bunce，Ifearthatafterallthouartbutaflatterer。’Well，I’lljustfinishitthen；it’safavouritelittlebitofBishop’s；andthen，MrBold，we’llhaveastrollandachattillEleanorcomesinandgivesustea。’AndsoBoldsatdownonthesoftturftolisten，orrathertothinkhow，aftersuchsweetharmony，hemightbestintroduceathemeofsomuchdiscord，todisturbthepeaceofhimwhowassoreadytowelcomehimkindly。

Boldthoughtthattheperformancewassoonover，forhefeltthathehadasomewhatdifficulttask，andhealmostregrettedthefinalleave-takingofthelastoftheoldmen，slowastheywereingoingthroughtheiradieux。

Bold’sheartwasinhismouth，astheprecentormadesomeordinarybutkindremarkastothefriendlinessofthevisit。

’Oneeveningcall，’saidhe，’isworthteninthemorning。

It’sallformalityinthemorning；realsocialtalkneverbeginstillafterdinner。That’swhyIdineearlysoastogetasmuchasIcanofit。’

’Quitetrue，MrHarding，’saidtheother；’butIfearI’vereversedtheorderofthings，andIoweyoumuchapologyfortroublingyouonbusinessatsuchanhour；butitisonbusinessthatIhavecalledjustnow。’

MrHardinglookedblankandannoyed；therewassomethinginthetoneoftheyoungman’svoicewhichtoldhimthattheinterviewwasintendedtobedisagreeable，andheshrankbackatfindinghiskindlygreetingsorepulsed。

’Iwishtospeaktoyouaboutthehospital，’continuedBold。

’Well，well，anythingIcantellyouIshallbemosthappy——’

’It’sabouttheaccounts。’

’Then，mydearfellow，Icantellyounothing，forI’masignorantasachild。AllIknowis，thattheypayme#800ayear。

GotoChadwick，heknowsallabouttheaccounts；andnowtellme，willpoorMaryJonesevergettheuseofherlimbagain？’

’Well，Ithinkshewill，ifshe’scareful；but，MrHarding，Ihopeyouwon’tobjecttodiscusswithmewhatIhavetosayaboutthehospital。’

MrHardinggaveadeep，long-drawnsigh。Hedidobject，verystronglyobject，todiscussanysuchsubjectwithJohnBold；buthehadnotthebusinesstactofMrChadwick，anddidnotknowhowtorelievehimselffromthecomingevil；hesighedsadly，butmadenoanswer。

’Ihavethegreatestregardforyou，MrHarding，’continuedBold；’thetruestrespect，themostsincere——’

’Thankye，thankye，MrBold，’interjaculatedtheprecentorsomewhatimpatiently；’I’mmuchobliged，butnevermindthat；I’maslikelytobeinthewrongasanotherman——quiteaslikely。’

’But，MrHarding，ImustexpresswhatIfeel，lestyoushouldthinkthereispersonalenmityinwhatI’mgoingtodo。’

’Personalenmity！Goingtodo！Why，you’renotgoingtocutmythroat，norputmeintotheEcclesiasticalCourt！’

Boldtriedtolaugh，buthecouldn’t。Hewasquiteinearnest，anddeterminedinhiscourse，andcouldn’tmakeajokeofit。Hewalkedonawhileinsilencebeforeherecommencedhisattack，duringwhichMrHarding，whohadstillthebowinhishand，playedrapidlyonanimaginaryvioloncello。’I

fearthereisreasontothinkthatJohnHiram’swillisnotcarriedouttotheletter，MrHarding，’saidtheyoungmanatlast；’andIhavebeenaskedtoseeintoit。’

’Verywell，I’venoobjectiononearth；andnowweneednotsayanotherwordaboutit。’

’Onlyonewordmore，MrHarding。ChadwickhasreferredmetoCoxandCummins，andIthinkitmydutytoapplytothemforsomestatementaboutthehospital。InwhatIdoI

mayappeartobeinterferingwithyou，andIhopeyouwillforgivemefordoingso。’