’MrBold，’saidtheother，stopping，andspeakingwithsomesolemnity，’ifyouactjustly，saynothinginthismatterbutthetruth，andusenounfairweaponsincarryingoutyourpurposes，Ishallhavenothingtoforgive。IpresumeyouthinkIamnotentitledtotheincomeIreceivefromthehospital，andthatothersareentitledtoit。Whateversomemaydo，I
shallneverattributetoyoubasemotivesbecauseyouholdanopinionopposedtomyownandadversetomyinterests:praydowhatyouconsidertobeyourduty；Icangiveyounoassistance，neitherwillIofferyouanyobstacle。Letme，however，suggesttoyou，thatyoucaninnowiseforwardyourviewsnorImine，byanydiscussionbetweenus。HerecomesEleanorandtheponies，andwe’llgointotea。’
Bold，however，feltthathecouldnotsitdownateasewithMrHardingandhisdaughterafterwhathadpassed，andthereforeexcusedhimselfwithmuchawkwardapology；andmerelyraisinghishatandbowingashepassedEleanorandtheponychair，leftherindisappointedamazementathisdeparture。
MrHarding’sdemeanourcertainlyimpressedBoldwithafullconvictionthatthewardenfeltthathestoodonstronggrounds，andalmostmadehimthinkthathewasabouttointerferewithoutduewarrantintheprivateaffairsofajustandhonourableman；butMrHardinghimselfwasanythingbutsatisfiedwithhisownviewofthecase。
Inthefirstplace，hewishedforEleanor’ssaketothinkwellofBoldandtolikehim，andyethecouldnotbutfeeldisgustedatthearroganceofhisconduct。WhatrighthadhetosaythatJohnHiram’swillwasnotfairlycarriedout？Butthenthequestionwouldarisewithinhisheart，——Wasthatwillfairlyactedon？DidJohnHirammeanthatthewardenofhishospitalshouldreceiveconsiderablymoreoutofthelegacythanallthetwelveoldmentogetherforwhosebehoofthehospitalwasbuilt？CoulditbepossiblethatJohnBoldwasright，andthatthereverendwardenofthehospitalhadbeenforthelasttenyearsandmoretheunjustrecipientofanincomelegallyandequitablybelongingtoothers？Whatifitshouldbeprovedbeforethelightofdaythathe，whoselifehadbeensohappy，soquiet，sorespected，hadabsorbed#800towhichhehadnotitle，andwhichhecouldneverrepay？Idonotsaythathefearedthatsuchwasreallythecase；butthefirstshadeofdoubtnowfellacrosshismind，andfromthisevening，formanyalong，longday，ourgood，kindlovingwardenwasneitherhappynoratease。
Thoughtsofthiskind，thesefirstmomentsofmuchmisery，oppressedMrHardingashesatsippinghistea，absentandillatease。PoorEleanorfeltthatallwasnotright，butherideasastothecauseoftheevening’sdiscomfortdidnotgobeyondherlover，andhissuddenanduncivildeparture。ShethoughttheremusthavebeensomequarrelbetweenBoldandherfather，andshewashalfangrywithboth，thoughshedidnotattempttoexplaintoherselfwhyshewasso。
MrHardingthoughtlonganddeeplyoverthesethings，bothbeforehewenttobedandafterit，ashelayawake，questioningwithinhimselfthevalidityofhisclaimtotheincomewhichheenjoyed。Itseemedclearatanyratethat，howeverunfortunatehemightbeathavingbeenplacedinsuchaposition，noonecouldsaythatheoughteithertohaverefusedtheappointmentfirst，ortohaverejectedtheincomeafterwards。Alltheworld——meaningtheecclesiasticalworldasconfinedtotheEnglishchurch——knewthatthewardenshipoftheBarchesterHospitalwasasnugsinecure，butnoonehadeverbeenblamedforacceptingit。Tohowmuchblame，however，wouldhehavebeenopenhadherejectedit！Howmadwouldhehavebeenthoughthadhedeclared，whenthesituationwasvacantandofferedtohim，thathehadscruplesastoreceiving#800ayearfromJohnHiram’sproperty，andthathehadrathersomestrangershouldpossessit！HowwouldDrGrantlyhaveshakenhiswisehead，andhaveconsultedwithhisfriendsinthecloseastosomedecentretreatforthecominginsanityofthepoorminorcanon！Ifhewasrightinacceptingtheplace，itwascleartohimalsothathewouldbewronginrejectinganypartoftheincomeattachedtoit。Thepatronagewasavaluableappanageofthebishopric；andsurelyitwouldnotbehisdutytolessenthevalueofthatprefermentwhichhadbeenbestowedonhimself；surelyhewasboundtostandbyhisorder。
Butsomehowthesearguments，thoughtheyseemedlogical，werenotsatisfactory。WasJohnHiram’swillfairlycarriedout？thatwasthetruequestion:andifnot，wasitnothisespecialdutytoseethatthiswasdone——hisespecialduty，whateverinjuryitmightdotohisorder——howeverillsuchdutymightbereceivedbyhispatronandhisfriends？Attheideaofhisfriends，hismindturnedunhappilytohisson-in-law。
HeknewwellhowstronglyhewouldbesupportedbyDrGrantly，ifhecouldbringhimselftoputhiscaseintothearchdeacon’shandsandtoallowhimtofightthebattle；butheknewalsothathewouldfindnosympathythereforhisdoubts，nofriendlyfeeling，noinwardcomfort。DrGrantlywouldbereadyenoughtotakeuphiscudgelagainstallcomersonbehalfofthechurchmilitant，buthewoulddosoonthedistastefulgroundofthechurch’sinfallibility。SuchacontestwouldgivenocomforttoMrHarding’sdoubts。Hewasnotsoanxioustoprovehimselfright，astobeso。
IhavesaidbeforethatDrGrantlywastheworkingmanofthediocese，andthathisfatherthebishopwassomewhatinclinedtoanidlelife。Soitwas；butthebishop，thoughhehadneverbeenanactiveman，wasonewhosequalitieshadrenderedhimdeartoallwhoknewhim。Hewastheveryoppositetohisson；hewasablandandakindoldman，opposedbyeveryfeelingtoauthoritativedemonstrationsandepiscopalostentation。Itwasperhapswellforhim，inhissituation，thathissonhadearlyinlifebeenabletodothatwhichhecouldnotwelldowhenhewasyounger，andwhichhecouldnothavedoneatallnowthathewasoverseventy。Thebishopknewhowtoentertaintheclergyofhisdiocese，totalkeasysmall-talkwiththerectors’wives，andputcuratesattheirease；butitrequiredthestronghandofthearchdeacontodealwithsuchaswererefractoryeitherintheirdoctrinesortheirlives。
ThebishopandMrHardinglovedeachotherwarmly。
Theyhadgrownoldtogether，andhadtogetherspentmany，manyyearsinclericalpursuitsandclericalconversation。
Whenoneofthemwasabishopandtheotheronlyaminorcanontheywereeventhenmuchtogether；butsincetheirchildrenhadmarried，andMrHardinghadbecomewardenandprecentor，theywereallinalltoeachother。Iwillnotsaythattheymanagedthediocesebetweenthem，buttheyspentmuchtimeindiscussingthemanwhodid，andinforminglittleplanstomitigatehiswrathagainstchurchdelinquents，andsoftenhisaspirationsforchurchdominion。
MrHardingdeterminedtoopenhismind，andconfesshisdoubtstohisoldfriend；andtohimhewentonthemorningafterJohnBold’suncourteousvisit。
Uptothisperiodnorumourofthesecruelproceedingsagainstthehospitalhadreachedthebishop’sears。Hehaddoubtlessheardthatmenexistedwhoquestionedhisrighttopresenttoasinecureof#800ayear，ashehadheardfromtimetotimeofsomespecialimmoralityordisgracefuldisturbanceintheusuallydecentandquietcityofBarchester:
butallhedid，andallhewascalledontodo，onsuchoccasions，wastoshakehishead，andtobeghisson，thegreatdictator，toseethatnoharmhappenedtothechurch。
ItwasalongstorythatMrHardinghadtotellbeforehemadethebishopcomprehendhisownviewofthecase；butweneednotfollowhimthroughthetale。Atfirstthebishopcounselledbutonestep，recommendedbutoneremedy，hadbutonemedicineinhiswholepharmacopoeiastrongenoughtotouchsograveadisorder——heprescribedthearchdeacon。
’Referhimtothearchdeacon，’herepeated，asMrHardingspokeofBoldandhisvisit。’Thearchdeaconwillsetyouquiterightaboutthat，’hekindlysaid，whenhisfriendspokewithhesitationofthejustnessofhiscause。’Nomanhasgotupallthatsowellasthearchdeacon’；butthedose，thoughlarge，failedtoquietthepatient；indeeditalmostproducednausea。
’But，bishop，’saidhe，’didyoueverreadJohnHiram’swill？’
Thebishopthoughtprobablyhehad，thirty-fiveyearsago，whenfirstinstitutedtohissee，butcouldnotstatepositively:
however，heverywellknewthathehadtheabsoluterighttopresenttothewardenship，andthattheincomeofthewardenhadbeenregularlysettled。
’But，bishop，thequestionis，whohasthepowertosettleit？
If，asthisyoungmansays，thewillprovidesthattheproceedsofthepropertyaretobedividedintoshares，whohasthepowertoaltertheseprovisions？’Thebishophadanindistinctideathattheyalteredthemselvesbythelapseofyears；
thatakindofecclesiasticalstatuteoflimitationbarredtherightsofthetwelvebedesmentoanyincreaseofincomearisingfromtheincreasedvalueofproperty。Hesaidsomethingabouttradition；moreofthemanylearnedmenwhobytheirpracticehadconfirmedthepresentarrangement；thenwentatsomelengthintotheproprietyofmaintainingtheduedifferenceinrankandincomebetweenabeneficedclergymanandcertainpooroldmenwhoweredependentoncharity；andconcludedhisargumentbyanotherreferencetothearchdeacon。
Theprecentorsatthoughtfullygazingatthefire，andlisteningtothegood-naturedreasoningofhisfriend。Whatthebishopsaidhadasortofcomfortinit，butitwasnotasustainingcomfort。ItmadeMrHardingfeelthatmanyothers——
indeed，allothersofhisownorder——wouldthinkhimright；
butitfailedtoprovetohimthathetrulywasso。
Bishop，’saidhe，atlast，afterbothhadsatsilentforawhile，’Ishoulddeceiveyouandmyselftoo，ifIdidnottellyouthatIamveryunhappyaboutthis。SupposethatIcannotbringmyselftoagreewithDrGrantly！——thatIfind，afterinquiry，thattheyoungmanisright，andthatIamwrong——whatthen？’
Thetwooldmenweresittingneareachother——sonearthatthebishopwasabletolayhishandupontheother’sknee，andhedidsowithagentlepressure。MrHardingwellknewwhatthatpressuremeant。Thebishophadnofurtherargumenttoadduce；hecouldnotfightforthecauseashissonwoulddo；
hecouldnotprovealltheprecentor’sdoubtstobegroundless；
buthecouldsympathisewithhisfriend，andhedidso；andMrHardingfeltthathehadreceivedthatforwhichhecame。