’Nonsense，Mary；MissHarding’sheartisassafeasyours。’
’Pray，pray，formysake，John，giveitup。Youknowhowdearlyyouloveher。’Andshecameandkneltbeforehimontherug。’Praygiveitup。Youaregoingtomakeyourself，andher，andherfathermiserable:youaregoingtomakeusallmiserable。Andforwhat？Foradreamofjustice。Youwillnevermakethosetwelvemenhappierthantheynoware。’
’Youdon’tunderstandit，mydeargirl，’saidhe，smoothingherhairwithhishand。
’Idounderstandit，John。Iunderstandthatthisisachimera——adreamthatyouhavegot。Iknowwellthatnodutycanrequireyoutodothismad——thissuicidalthing。I
knowyouloveEleanorHardingwithallyourheart，andItellyounowthatshelovesyouaswell。Iftherewasaplain，apositivedutybeforeyou，Iwouldbethelasttobidyouneglectitforanywoman’slove；butthis——oh，thinkagain，beforeyoudoanythingtomakeitnecessarythatyouandMrHardingshouldbeatvariance。’Hedidnotanswer，asshekneltthere，leaningonhisknees，butbyhisfaceshethoughtthathewasinclinedtoyield。’Atanyrateletmesaythatyouwillgotothisparty。Atanyratedonotbreakwiththemwhileyourmindisindoubt。’Andshegotup，hopingtoconcludehernoteinthewayshedesired。
’Mymindisnotindoubt，’atlasthesaid，rising。’IcouldneverrespectmyselfagainwereItogivewaynow，becauseEleanorHardingisbeautiful。Idoloveher:Iwouldgiveahandtohearhertellmewhatyouhavesaid，speakingonherbehalf；butIcannotforhersakegobackfromthetaskwhichIhavecommenced。Ihopeshemayhereafteracknowledgeandrespectmymotives，butIcannotnowgoasaguesttoherfather’shouse。’AndtheBarchesterBrutuswentouttofortifyhisownresolutionbymeditationsonhisownvirtue。
PoorMaryBoldsatdown，andsadlyfinishedhernote，sayingthatshewouldherselfattendtheparty，butthatherbrotherwasunavoidablypreventedfromdoingso。Ifearthatshedidnotadmireassheshouldhavedonetheself-devotionofhissingularvirtue。
Thepartywentoffassuchpartiesdo。Therewerefatoldladies，infinesilkdresses，andslimyoungladies，ingauzymuslinfrocks；oldgentlemenstoodupwiththeirbackstotheemptyfire-place，lookingbynomeanssocomfortableastheywouldhavedoneintheirownarm-chairsathome；andyounggentlemen，ratherstiffabouttheneck，clusterednearthedoor，notasyetsufficientlyincouragetoattackthemuslinfrocks，whoawaitedthebattle，drawnupinasemicirculararray。
Thewardenendeavouredtoinduceacharge，butfailedsignally，nothavingthetactofageneral；hisdaughterdidwhatshecouldtocomforttheforcesunderhercommand，whotookinrefreshingrationsofcakeandtea，andpatientlylookedforthecomingengagement:butsheherself，Eleanor，hadnospiritforthework；theonlyenemywhoselanceshecaredtoencounterwasnotthere，andsheandothersweresomewhatdull。
Loudaboveallvoiceswasheardtheclearsonoroustonesofthearchdeaconashedilatedtobrotherparsonsofthedangerofthechurch，ofthefearfulrumoursofmadreformsevenatOxford，andofthedamnableheresiesofDrWhiston。
Soon，however，sweetersoundsbegantimidlytomakethemselvesaudible。Littlemovementsweremadeinaquarternotableforroundstoolsandmusicstands。Waxcandleswerearrangedinsconces，bigbookswerebroughtfromhiddenrecesses，andtheworkoftheeveningcommenced。
Howoftenwerethosepegstwistedandre-twistedbeforeourfriendfoundthathehadtwistedthemenough；howmanydiscordantscrapesgavepromiseofthecomingharmony。
HowmuchthemuslinflutteredandcrumpledbeforeEleanorandanothernymphweredulyseatedatthepiano；howcloselydidthattallApollopackhimselfagainstthewall，withhisflute，longashimself，extendinghighovertheheadsofhisprettyneighbours；intohowsmallacornercreptthatroundandfloridlittleminorcanon，andtherewithskillamazingfoundroomtotunehisaccustomedfiddle！
Andnowthecrashbegins:awaytheygoinfullflowofharmonytogether——uphillanddowndale——nowlouderandlouder，thenlowerandlower；nowloud，asthoughstirringthebattle；thenlow，asthoughmourningtheslain。Inall，throughall，andaboveall，isheardthevioloncello。Ah，notfornothingwerethosepegssotwistedandre-twisted——listen，listen！Nowalonethatsaddestofinstrumentstellsitstouchingtale。Silent，andinawe，standfiddle，flute，andpiano，tohearthesorrowsoftheirwailingbrother。’Tisbutforamoment:
beforethemelancholyofthoselownoteshasbeenfullyrealised，againcomesthefullforceofalltheband——downgothepedals，awayrushtwentyfingersscouringoverthebassnoteswithalltheimpetusofpassion。Apolloblowstillhisstiffneckclothisnobetterthanarope，andtheminorcanonworkswithbotharmstillhefallsinasyncopeofexhaustionagainstthewall。
Howcomesitthatnow，whenallshouldbesilent，whencourtesy，ifnottaste，shouldmakemenlisten——howisitatthismomenttheblack-coatedcorpsleavetheirretreatandbeginskirmishing？Onebyonetheycreepforth，andfireofflittlegunstimidly，andwithoutprecision。Ah，mymen，effortssuchasthesewilltakenocities，eventhoughtheenemyshouldbeneversoopentoassault。Atlengthamoredeadlyartilleryisbroughttobear；slowly，butwitheffect，theadvanceismade；
themuslinranksarebroken，andfallintoconfusion；theformidablearrayofchairsgivesway；thebattleisnolongerbetweenopposingregiments，buthandtohand，andfoottofootwithsinglecombatants，asinthegloriousdaysofold，whenfightingwasreallynoble。Incorners，andundertheshadowofcurtains，behindsofasandhalfhiddenbydoors，inretiringwindows，andshelteredbyhangingtapestry，areblowsgivenandreturned，fatal，incurable，dealingdeath。
Apartfromthisanothercombatarises，moresoberandmoreserious。Thearchdeaconisengagedagainsttwoprebendaries，apursyfull-blownrectorassistinghim，inalltheperilsandalltheenjoymentsofshortwhist。Withsolemnenergydotheywatchtheshuffledpack，and，all-expectant，eyethecomingtrump。Withwhatanxiousnicetydotheyarrangetheircards，jealousofeachother’seyes！Whyisthatleandoctorsoslow——
cadaverousmanwithhollowjawandsunkeneye，illbeseemingtherichnessofhismotherchurch！Ah，whysoslow，thoumeagredoctor？Seehowthearchdeacon，speechlessinhisagony，depositsontheboardhiscards，andlookstoheavenortotheceilingforsupport。Hark，howhesighs，aswiththumbsinhiswaistcoatpocketheseemstosignifythattheendofsuchtormentisnotyetevennighathand！Vainisthehope，ifhopetherebe，todisturbthatmeagredoctor。Withcarepreciseheplaceseverycard，weighswellthevalueofeachmightyace，eachguardedking，andcomfort-givingqueen；
speculatesonknaveandten，countsallhissuits，andsetshispriceuponthewhole。Atlengthacardisled，andquickthreeothersfallupontheboard。Thelittledoctorleadsagain，whilewithlustrouseyehispartnerabsorbsthetrick。Nowthricehasthisbeendone——thricehasconstantfortunefavouredthebraceofprebendaries，erethearchdeaconrouseshimselftothebattle；butatthefourthassaulthepinstotheearthaprostrateking，layinglowhiscrownandsceptre，bushybeard，andloweringbrow，withapoordeuce。
’AsDaviddidGoliath，’saysthearchdeacon，pushingoverthefourcardstohispartner。Andthenatrumpisled，thenanothertrump；thenaking——andthenanace——andthenalongten，whichbringsdownfromthemeagredoctorhisonlyremainingtowerofstrength——hischerishedqueenoftrumps。
’What，nosecondclub？’saysthearchdeacontohispartner。
’Onlyoneclub，’muttersfromhisinmoststomachthepursyrector，whositstherered-faced，silent，impervious，careful，asafebutnotabrilliantally。
Butthearchdeaconcaresnotformanyclubs，orfornone。
Hedashesouthisremainingcardswithaspeedmostannoyingtohisantagonists，pushesovertothemsomefourcardsastheirallottedportion，shovestheremainderacrossthetabletothered-facedrector；callsout’twobycardsandtwobyhonours，andtheoddtricklasttime，’marksatrebleunderthecandle-
stick，andhasdealtroundthesecondpackbeforethemeagredoctorhascalculatedhislosses。
Andsowentoffthewarden’sparty，andmenandwomenarrangingshawlsandshoesdeclaredhowpleasantithadbeen；
andMrsGoodenough，thered-facedrector’swife，pressingthewarden’shand，declaredshehadneverenjoyedherselfbetter；
whichshowedhowlittlepleasuresheallowedherselfinthisworld，asshehadsatthewholeeveningthroughinthesamechairwithoutoccupation，notspeaking，andunspokento。
AndMatildaJohnson，whensheallowedyoungDicksonofthebanktofastenhercloakroundherneck，thoughtthattwohundredpoundsayearandalittlecottagewouldreallydoforhappiness；besides，hewassuretobemanagersomeday。
AndApollo，foldinghisfluteintohispocket，feltthathehadacquittedhimselfwithhonour；andthearchdeaconpleasantlyjingledhisgains；butthemeagredoctorwentoffwithoutmuchaudiblespeech，mutteringeverandanonashewent，’threeandthirtypoints！’’threeandthirtypoints！’
Andsotheyallweregone，andMrHardingwasleftalonewithhisdaughter。
WhathadpassedbetweenEleanorHardingandMaryBoldneednotbetold。Itisindeedamatterofthankfulnessthatneitherthehistoriannorthenovelisthearsallthatissaidbytheirheroesorheroines，orhowwouldthreevolumesortwentysuffice！InthepresentcasesolittleofthissorthaveIoverheard，thatIliveinhopesoffinishingmyworkwithin300pages，andofcompletingthatpleasanttask——anovelinonevolume；butsomethinghadpassedbetweenthem，andasthewardenblewoutthewaxcandles，andputhisinstrumentintoitscase，hisdaughterstoodsadandthoughtfulbytheemptyfire-place，determinedtospeaktoherfather，butirresoluteastowhatshewouldsay。
’Well，Eleanor，’saidhe，’areyouforbed？’
’Yes，’saidshe，moving，’Isupposeso；butpapa——MrBoldwasnotheretonight；doyouknowwhynot？’
’Hewasasked；Iwrotetohimmyself，’saidthewarden。
’Butdoyouknowwhyhedidnotcome，papa？’
’Well，Eleanor，Icouldguess；butit’snouseguessingatsuchthings，mydear。Whatmakesyoulooksoearnestaboutit？’