第15章

’Notquitesoclear，’saidtheother。’Youseethewillsays，“Mylord，thebishop，beinggraciouslypleasedtoseethatduejusticebedone。“Now，itmaybeaquestionwhether，inacceptingandadministeringthepatronage，yourfatherhasnotacceptedalsotheotherdutiesassigned。Itisdoubtful，however；buteveniftheyhitthatnail——andtheyarefarofffromthatyet——thepointissonice，asSirAbrahamsays，thatyouwouldforcethemintofifteenthousandpounds’costbeforetheycouldbringittoanissue！andwhere’sthatsumofmoneytocomefrom？’

Thearchdeaconrubbedhishandswithdelight；hehadneverdoubtedthejusticeofhiscase，buthehadbeguntohavesomedreadofunjustsuccessonthepartofhisenemies。Itwasdelightfultohimthustohearthattheircausewassurroundedwithsuchrocksandshoals；suchcausesofshipwreckunseenbythelandsman’seye，butvisibleenoughtothekeeneyesofpracticallawmariners。HowwronghiswifewastowishthatBoldshouldmarryEleanor！Bold！why，ifheshouldbeassenoughtopersevere，hewouldbeabeggarbeforeheknewwhomhewasatlawwith！

’That’sexcellent，Chadwick——that’sexcellent！ItoldyouSirAbrahamwasthemanforus’；andheputdownonthetablethecopyoftheopinion，andpatteditfondly。

’Don’tyouletthatbeseen，though，archdeacon。’

’Who？-I！-notforworlds，’saidthedoctor。

’Peoplewilltalk，youknow，archdeacon。’

’Ofcourse，ofcourse，’saidthedoctor。

’Because，ifthatgetsabroad，itwouldteachthemhowtofighttheirownbattle。’

’Quitetrue，’saidthedoctor。

’NoonehereinBarchesteroughttoseethatbutyouandI，archdeacon。’

’No，no，certainlynooneelse，’saidthearchdeacon，pleasedwiththeclosenessoftheconfidence；’nooneelseshall。’

’MrsGrantlyisveryinterestedinthematter，Iknow，’saidMrChadwick。

Didthearchdeaconwink，ordidhenot？Iaminclinedtothinkhedidnotquitewink；butthatwithoutsuch，perhaps，unseemlygesturehecommunicatedtoMrChadwick，withthecornerofhiseye，intimationthat，deepaswasMrsGrantly’sinterestinthematter，itshouldnotprocureforheraperusalofthatdocument；andatthesametimehepartlyopenedthesmalldrawer，abovespokenof，depositedthepaperonthevolumeofRabelais，andshowedtoMrChadwickthenatureofthekeywhichguardedthesehiddentreasures。Thecarefulstewardthenexpressedhimselfcontented。Ah！vainman！

hecouldfastenuphisRabelais，andotherthingssecret，withalltheskillofBramahorofChubb；butwherecouldhefastenupthekeywhichsolvedthesemechanicalmysteries？Itisprobabletousthatthecontentsofnodrawerinthathousewereunknowntoitsmistress，andwethink，moreover，thatshewasentitledtoallsuchknowledge。

’But，’saidMrChadwick，’wemust，ofcourse，tellyourfatherandMrHardingsomuchofSirAbraham’sopinionaswillsatisfythemthatthematterisdoingwell。’

’Oh，certainly——yes，ofcourse，’saidthedoctor。

’YouhadbetterletthemknowthatSirAbrahamisofopinionthatthereisnocaseatanyrateagainstMrHarding；

andthatastheactioniswordedatpresent，itmustfalltotheground；theymustbenonsuited，iftheycarryiton；youhadbettertellMrHarding，thatSirAbrahamisclearlyofopinionthatheisonlyaservant，andassuchnotliable——orifyoulikeit，I’llseeMrHardingmyself。’

’Oh，Imustseehimtomorrow，andmyfathertoo，andI’llexplaintothemexactlysomuch——youwon’tgobeforelunch，MrChadwick:well，ifyouwill，youmust，forIknowyourtimeisprecious’；andheshookhandswiththediocesansteward，andbowedhimout。

Thearchdeaconhadagainrecoursetohisdrawer，andtwicereadthroughtheessenceofSirAbrahamHaphazard’slaw-

enlightenedandlaw-bewilderedbrains。ItwasveryclearthattoSirAbraham，thejusticeoftheoldmen’sclaimorthejusticeofMrHarding’sdefencewereideasthathadneverpresentedthemselves。AlegalvictoryoveranopposingpartywastheserviceforwhichSirAbrahamwas，asheimagined，tobepaid；andthathe，accordingtohislights，haddiligentlylabouredtoachieve，andwithprobablehopeofsuccess。OftheintensedesirewhichMrHardingfelttobeassuredonfitauthoritythathewaswrongingnoman，thathewasentitledintrueequitytohisincome，thathemightsleepatnightwithoutpangsofconscience，thathewasnorobber，nospoilerofthepoor；thatheandalltheworldmightbeopenlyconvincedthathewasnotthemanwhichTheJupiterhaddescribedhimtobe；ofsuchlongingsonthepartofMrHarding，SirAbrahamwasentirelyignorant；nor，indeed，coulditbelookedonaspartofhisbusinesstogratifysuchdesires。Suchwasnotthesystemonwhichhisbattleswerefought，andvictoriesgained。Successwashisobject，andhewasgenerallysuccessful。Heconqueredhisenemiesbytheirweaknessratherthanbyhisownstrength，andithadbeenfoundalmostimpossibletomakeupacaseinwhichSirAbraham，asanantagonist，wouldnotfindaflaw。

Thearchdeaconwasdelightedwiththeclosenessofthereasoning。Todohimjustice，itwasnotaselfishtriumphthathedesired；hewouldpersonallylosenothingbydefeat，oratleastwhathemightlosedidnotactuatehim；butneitherwasitloveofjusticewhichmadehimsoanxious，norevenmainlysolicitudeforhisfather-in-law。Hewasfightingapartofanever-endingbattleagainstanever-conqueredfoe——thatofthechurchagainstitsenemies。

HeknewMrHardingcouldnotpayalltheexpenseofthesedoings:fortheselongopinionsofSirAbraham’s，thesecausestobepleaded，thesespeechestobemade，thesevariouscourtsthroughwhichthecasewas，hepresumed，tobedragged。Heknewthatheandhisfathermustatleastbeartheheavierportionofthistremendouscost；buttodothearchdeaconjustice，hedidnotrecoilfromthis。Hewasamanfondofobtainingmoney，greedyofalargeincome，butopen-handedenoughinexpendingit，anditwasatriumphtohimtoforeseethesuccessofthismeasure，althoughhemightbecalledontopaysodearlyforithimself。

TheConferenceOnthefollowingmorningthearchdeaconwaswithhisfatherbetimes，andanotewassentdowntothewardenbegginghisattendanceatthepalace。DrGrantly，ashecogitatedonthematter，leaningbackinhisbroughamashejourneyedintoBarchester，feltthatitwouldbedifficulttocommunicatehisownsatisfactioneithertohisfatherorhisfather-in-law。

Hewantedsuccessonhisownsideanddiscomfitureonthatofhisenemies。Thebishopwantedpeaceonthesubject；asettledpeaceifpossible，butpeaceatanyratetilltheshortremainderofhisowndayshadspunitselfout。MrHardingrequirednotonlysuccessandpeace，buthealsodemandedthathemightstandjustifiedbeforetheworld。

Thebishop，however，wascomparativelyeasytodealwith；

andbeforethearrivaloftheother，thedutifulsonhadpersuadedhisfatherthatallwasgoingonwell，andthenthewardenarrived。

ItwasMrHarding’swont，wheneverhespentamorningatthepalace，toseathimselfimmediatelyatthebishop’selbow，thebishopoccupyingahugearm-chairfittedupwithcandle-

sticks，areadingtable，adrawer，andotherparaphernalia，thepositionofwhichchairwasnevermoved，summerorwinter；

andwhen，aswasusual，thearchdeaconwastherealso，heconfrontedthetwoelders，whothuswereenabledtofightthebattleagainsthimtogether；andtogethersubmittodefeat，forsuchwastheirconstantfate。

Ourwardennowtookhisaccustomedplace，havinggreetedhisson-in-lawasheentered，andthenaffectionatelyinquiredafterhisfriend’shealth。TherewasagentlenessaboutthebishoptowhichthesoftwomanlyaffectionofMrHardingparticularlyendeareditself，anditwasquainttoseehowthetwomildoldpriestspressedeachother’shand，andsmiledandmadelittlesignsoflove。

’SirAbraham’sopinionhascomeatlast，’beganthearchdeacon。

MrHardinghadheardsomuch，andwasmostanxioustoknowtheresult。

’Itisquitefavourable，’saidthebishop，pressinghisfriend’sarm。’Iamsoglad。’

MrHardinglookedatthemightybeareroftheimportantnewsforconfirmationofthesegladtidings。

’Yes，’saidthearchdeacon；’SirAbrahamhasgivenmostminuteattentiontothecase；indeed，Iknewhewould——mostminuteattention；andhisopinionis——andastohisopiniononsuchasubjectbeingcorrect，noonewhoknowsSirAbraham’scharactercandoubt——hisopinionis，thattheyhav’n’tgotalegtostandon。’

’Butashow，archdeacon？’

’Why，inthefirstplace:——butyou’renolawyer，warden，andIdoubtyouwon’tunderstandit；thegistofthematteristhis:——underHiram’swilltwopaidguardianshavebeenselectedforthehospital；thelawwillsaytwopaidservants，andyouandIwon’tquarrelwiththename。’

’AtanyrateIwillnotifIamoneoftheservants，’saidMrHarding。’Arose，youknow——’

’Yes，yes，’saidthearchdeacon，impatientofpoetryatsuchatime。’Well，twopaidservants，we’llsay；onetolookafterthemen，andtheothertolookafterthemoney。YouandChadwickarethesetwoservants，andwhethereitherofyoubepaidtoomuch，ortoolittle，moreorlessinfactthanthefounderwilled，it’sasclearasdaylightthatnoonecanfallfoulofeitherofyouforreceivinganallottedstipend。’

’Thatdoesseemclear，’saidthebishop，whohadwincedvisiblyatthewordsservantsandstipend，which，however，appearedtohavecausednouneasinesstothearchdeacon。

’Quiteclear，’saidhe，’andverysatisfactory。Inpointoffact，itbeingnecessarytoselectsuchservantsfortheuseofthehospital，thepaytobegiventothemmustdependontherateofpayforsuchservices，accordingtotheirmarketvalueattheperiodinquestion；andthosewhomanagethehospitalmustbetheonlyjudgesofthis。’