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: