第16章

’Andwhodoesmanagethehospital？’askedthewarden。

’Oh，letthemfindthatout；that’sanotherquestion:theactionisbroughtagainstyouandChadwick；that’syourdefence，andaperfectandfulldefenceitis。NowthatIthinkverysatisfactory。’

’Well，’saidthebishop，lookinginquiringlyupintohisfriend’sface，whosatsilentawhile，andapparentlynotsowellsatisfied。

’Andconclusive，’continuedthearchdeacon；’iftheypressittoajury，whichtheywon’tdo，notwelvemeninEnglandwilltakefiveminutestodecideagainstthem。’

’Butaccordingtothat’saidMrHarding，’Imightaswellhavesixteenhundredayearaseight，ifthemanagerschoosetoallotittome；andasIamoneofthemanagers，ifnotthechiefmanager，myself，thatcanhardlybeajustarrangement。’

’Oh，well；allthat’snothingtothequestion。Thequestionis，whetherthisintrudingfellow，andalotofcheatingattorneysandpestilentdissenters，aretointerferewithanarrangementwhicheveryoneknowsisessentiallyjustandserviceabletothechurch。Praydon’tletusbesplittinghairs，andthatamongstourselves，orthere’llneverbeanendofthecauseorthecost。’

MrHardingagainsatsilentforawhile，duringwhichthebishoponceandagainpressedhisarm，andlookedinhisfacetoseeifhecouldcatchagleamofacontentedandeasedmind；

buttherewasnosuchgleam，andthepoorwardencontinuedplayingsaddirgesoninvisiblestringedinstrumentsinallmannerofpositions；hewasruminatinginhismindonthisopinionofSirAbraham，lookingtoitwearilyandearnestlyforsatisfaction，butfindingnone。Atlasthesaid，’Didyouseetheopinion，archdeacon？’

Thearchdeaconsaidhehadnot——thatwastosay，he-had-

thatwas，hehadnotseentheopinionitself；hehadseenwhathadbeencalledacopy，buthecouldnotsaywhetherofawholeorpart；norcouldhesaythatwhathehadseenweretheipsissimaverbaofthegreatmanhimself；butwhathehadseencontainedexactlythedecisionwhichhehadannounced，andwhichheagaindeclaredtobetohismindextremelysatisfactory。

’Ishouldliketoseetheopinion，’saidthewarden；’thatis，acopyofit。’

’Well，Isupposeyoucanifyoumakeapointofit；butI

don’tseetheusemyself；ofcourseitisessentialthatthepurportofitshouldnotbeknown，anditisthereforeunadvisabletomultiplycopies。’

’Whyshoulditnotbeknown？’askedthewarden。

’Whataquestionforamantoask！’saidthearchdeacon，throwinguphishandsintokenofhissurprise；’butitislikeyou——achildisnotmoreinnocentthanyouareinmattersofbusiness。Can’tyouseethatifwetellthemthatnoactionwilllieagainstyou，butthatonemaypossiblylieagainstsomeotherpersonorpersons，thatweshallbeputtingweaponsintotheirhands，andbeteachingthemhowtocutourownthroats？’

Thewardenagainsatsilent，andthebishopagainlookedathimwistfully:’Theonlythingwehavenowtodo，’continuedthearchdeacon，’istoremainquiet，holdourpeace，andletthemplaytheirowngameastheyplease。’

’Wearenottomakeknownthen，’saidthewarden，’thatwehaveconsultedtheattorney-general，andthatweareadvisedbyhimthatthefounder’swillisfullyandfairlycarriedout。’

’Godblessmysoul！’saidthearchdeacon，’howodditisthatyouwillnotseethatallwearetodoistodonothing:

whyshouldwesayanythingaboutthefounder’swill？Weareinpossession；andweknowthattheyarenotinapositiontoputusout；surelythatisenoughforthepresent。’

MrHardingrosefromhisseatandpacedthoughtfullyupanddownthelibrary，thebishopthewhilewatchinghimpainfullyateveryturn，andthearchdeaconcontinuingtopourforthhisconvictionsthattheaffairwasinastatetosatisfyanyprudentmind。

’AndTheJupiter？’saidthewarden，stoppingsuddenly。

’Oh！TheJupiter，’answeredtheother。’TheJupitercanbreaknobones。Youmustbearwiththat；thereismuch，ofcourse，whichitisourboundendutytobear；itcannotbeallrosesforushere，’andthearchdeaconlookedexceedinglymoral；’besides，thematteristootrivial，oftoolittlegeneralinteresttobementionedagaininTheJupiter，unlesswestirupthesubject。’Andthearchdeaconagainlookedexceedinglyknowingandworldlywise。

Thewardencontinuedhiswalk；thehardandstingingwordsofthatnewspaperarticle，eachoneofwhichhadthrustathornasitwereintohisinmostsoul，werefreshinhismemory；hehadreaditmorethanonce，wordbyword，andwhatwasworse，hefancieditwasaswellknowntoeveryoneastohimself。Washetobelookedonastheunjustgripingpriesthehadbeentheredescribed？Washetobepointedatastheconsumerofthebreadofthepoor，andtobeallowednomeansofrefutingsuchcharges，ofclearinghisbegrimedname，ofstandinginnocentintheworld，ashithertohehadstood？

Washetobearallthis，toreceiveasusualhisnowhatedincome，andbeknownasoneofthosegreedypriestswhobytheirrapacityhavebroughtdisgraceontheirchurch？Andwhy？Whyshouldhebearallthis？Whyshouldhedie，forhefeltthathecouldnotlive，undersuchaweightofobloquy？

Ashepacedupanddowntheroomheresolvedinhismiseryandenthusiasmthathecouldwithpleasure，ifhewereallowed，giveuphisplace，abandonhispleasanthome，leavethehospital，andlivepoorly，happily，andwithanunsulliedname，onthesmallremainderofhismeans。

Hewasamansomewhatshyofspeakingofhimself，evenbeforethosewhoknewhimbest，andwhomhelovedthemost；

butatlastitburstforthfromhim，andwithasomewhatjerkingeloquencehedeclaredthathecouldnot，wouldnot，bearthismiseryanylonger。

’Ifitcanbeproved，’saidheatlast，’thatIhaveajustandhonestrighttothis，asGodwellknowsIalwaysdeemedIhad；

ifthissalaryorstipendbereallymydue，Iamnotlessanxiousthananothertoretainit。Ihavethewell-beingofmychildtolookto。IamtoooldtomisswithoutsomepainthecomfortstowhichIhavebeenused；andIam，asothersare，anxioustoprovetotheworldthatIhavebeenright，andtoupholdtheplaceIhaveheld；butIcannotdoitatsuchacostasthis。Icannotbearthis。Couldyoutellmetodoso？’Andheappealed，almostintears，tothebishop，whohadlefthischair，andwasnowleaningonthewarden’sarmashestoodonthefurthersideofthetablefacingthearchdeacon。’Couldyoutellmetositthereatease，indifferent，andsatisfied，whilesuchthingsasthesearesaidloudlyofmeintheworld？’

Thebishopcouldfeelforhimandsympathisewithhim，buthecouldnotadvisehim，hecouldonlysay，’No，no，youshallbeaskedtodonothingthatispainful；youshalldojustwhatyourhearttellsyoutoberight；youshalldowhateveryouthinkbestyourself。Theophilus，don’tadvisehim，praydon’tadvisethewardentodoanythingwhichispainful。’

Butthearchdeacon，thoughhecouldnotsympathise，couldadvise；andhesawthatthetimehadcomewhenitbehovedhimtodosoinasomewhatperemptorymanner。

’Why，mylord，’hesaid，speakingtohisfather:andwhenhecalledhisfather’mylord，’thegoodoldbishopshookinhisshoes，forheknewthataneviltimewascoming。’Why，mylord，therearetwowaysofgivingadvice:thereisadvicethatmaybegoodforthepresentday；andthereisadvicethatmaybegoodfordaystocome:nowIcannotbringmyselftogivetheformer，ifitbeincompatiblewiththeother。’

’No，no，no，Isupposenot，’saidthebishop，re-seatinghimself，andshadinghisfacewithhishands。MrHardingsatdownwithhisbacktothefurtherwall，playingtohimselfsomeairfittedforsocalamitousanoccasion，andthearchdeaconsaidouthissaystanding，withhisbacktotheemptyfire-place。

’Itisnottobesupposedbutthatmuchpainwillspringoutofthisunnecessarilyraisedquestion。Wemustallhaveforeseenthat，andthematterhasinnowisegoneonworsethanweexpected；butitwillbeweak，yes，andwickedalso，toabandonthecauseandownourselveswrong，becausetheinquiryispainful。Itisnotonlyourselveswehavetolookto；toacertainextenttheinterestofthechurchisinourkeeping。Shoulditbefoundthatoneafteranotherofthosewhoholdprefermentabandoneditwheneveritmightbeattacked，isitnotplainthatsuchattackswouldberenewedtillnothingwasleftus？

and，thatifsodeserted，theChurchofEnglandmustfalltothegroundaltogether？Ifthisbetrueofmany，itistrueofone。

Wereyou，accusedasyounoware，tothrowupthewardenship，andtorelinquishtheprefermentwhichisyourproperty，withthevainobjectofprovingyourselfdisinterested，youwouldfailinthatobject，youwouldinflictadesperateblowonyourbrotherclergymen，youwouldencourageeverycantankerousdissenterinEnglandtomakeasimilarchargeagainstsomesourceofclericalrevenue，andyouwoulddoyourbesttodisheartenthosewhoaremostanxioustodefendyouandupholdyourposition。Icanfancynothingmoreweak，ormorewrong。Itisnotthatyouthinkthatthereisanyjusticeinthesecharges，orthatyoudoubtyourownrighttothewardenship:youareconvincedofyourownhonesty，andyetwouldyieldtothemthroughcowardice。’

’Cowardice！’saidthebishop，expostulating。MrHardingsatunmoved，gazingonhisson-in-law。

’Well；woulditnotbecowardice？Wouldhenotdosobecauseheisafraidtoenduretheevilthingswhichwillbefalselyspokenofhim？Wouldthatnotbecowardice？Andnowletusseetheextentoftheevilwhichyoudread。TheJupiterpublishesanarticlewhichagreatmany，nodoubt，willread；butofthosewhounderstandthesubjecthowmanywillbelieveTheJupiter？Everyoneknowswhatitsobjectis:ithastakenupthecaseagainstLordGuildfordandagainsttheDeanofRochester，andthatagainsthalfadozenbishops；anddoesnoteveryoneknowthatitwouldtakeupanycaseofthekind，rightorwrong，falseortrue，withknownjusticeorknowninjustice，ifbydoingsoitcouldfurtheritsownviews？DoesnotalltheworldknowthisofTheJupiter？WhothatreallyknowsyouwillthinktheworseofyouforwhatTheJupitersays？

Andwhycareforthosewhodonotknowyou？Iwillsaynothingofyourowncomfort，butIdosaythatyoucouldnotbejustifiedinthrowingup，inafitofpassion，forsuchitwouldbe，theonlymaintenancethatEleanorhas；andifyoudidso，ifyoureallydidvacatethewardenship，andsubmittoruin，whatwouldthatprofityou？Ifyouhavenofuturerighttotheincome，youhavehadnopastrighttoit；andtheveryfactofyourabandoningyourpositionwouldcreateademandforrepaymentofthatwhichyouhavealreadyreceivedandspent。’