Thepoorwardengroanedashesatperfectlystill，lookingupatthehard-heartedoratorwhothustormentedhim，andthebishopechoedthesoundfaintlyfrombehindhishands；
butthearchdeaconcaredlittleforsuchsignsofweakness，andcompletedhisexhortation。
’Butletussupposetheofficetobeleftvacant，andthatyourowntroublesconcerningitwereover；wouldthatsatisfyyou？
Areyouronlyaspirationsinthematterconfinedtoyourselfandfamily？Iknowtheyarenot。Iknowyouareasanxiousasanyofusforthechurchtowhichwebelong；andwhatagrievousblowwouldsuchanactofapostacygiveher！Youoweittothechurchofwhichyouareamemberandaminister，tobearwiththisaffliction，howeversevereitmaybe:youoweittomyfather，whoinstitutedyou，tosupporthisrights:youoweittothosewhoprecededyoutoassertthelegalityoftheirposition；youoweittothosewhoaretocomeafteryou，tomaintainuninjuredforthemthatwhichyoureceiveduninjuredfromothers；andyouowetousalltheunflinchingassistanceofperfectbrotherhoodinthismatter，sothatupholdingoneanotherwemaysupportourgreatcausewithoutblushingandwithoutdisgrace。’
Andsothearchdeaconceased，andstoodself-satisfied，watchingtheeffectofhisspokenwisdom。
Thewardenfelthimself，toacertainextent，stifled；hewouldhavegiventheworldtogethimselfoutintotheopenairwithoutspeakingto，ornoticingthosewhowereintheroomwithhim；butthiswasimpossible。Hecouldnotleavewithoutsayingsomething，andhefelthimselfconfoundedbythearchdeacon’seloquence。Therewasaheavy，unfeeling，unanswerabletruthinwhathehadsaid；therewassomuchpractical，butodiouscommonsenseinit，thatheneitherknewhowtoassentortodiffer。Ifitwerenecessaryforhimtosuffer，hefeltthathecouldendurewithoutcomplaintandwithoutcowardice，providingthathewasself-satisfiedofthejusticeofhisowncause。Whathecouldnotendurewas，thatheshouldbeaccusedbyothers，andnotacquittedbyhimself。
Doubting，ashehadbeguntodoubt，thejusticeofhisownpositioninthehospital，heknewthathisownself-confidencewouldnotberestoredbecauseMrBoldhadbeeninerrorastosomelegalform；norcouldhebesatisfiedtoescape，because，throughsomelegalfiction，hewhoreceivedthegreatestbenefitfromthehospitalmightbeconsideredonlyasoneofitsservants。
Thearchdeacon’sspeechhadsilencedhim——stupefiedhim——annihilatedhim；anythingbutsatisfiedhim。Withthebishopitfarednotmuchbetter。Hedidnotdiscernclearlyhowthingswere，buthesawenoughtoknowthatabattlewastobepreparedfor；abattlethatwoulddestroyhisfewremainingcomforts，andbringhimwithsorrowtothegrave。
Thewardenstillsat，andstilllookedatthearchdeacon，tillhisthoughtsfixedthemselveswhollyonthemeansofescapefromhispresentposition，andhefeltlikeabirdfascinatedbygazingonasnake。
’Ihopeyouagreewithme，’saidthearchdeaconatlast，breakingthedreadsilence；’mylord，Ihopeyouagreewithme。’
Oh，whatasighthebishopgave！’Mylord，Ihopeyouagreewithme，’againrepeatedthemercilesstyrant。
’Yes，Isupposeso，’groanedthepooroldman，slowly。
’Andyou，warden？’
MrHardingwasnowstirredtoaction——hemustspeakandmove，sohegotupandtookoneturnbeforeheanswered。
’Donotpressmeforananswerjustatpresent；Iwilldonothinglightlyinthematter，andofwhateverIdoIwillgiveyouandthebishopnotice。’Andsowithoutanotherwordhetookhisleave，escapingquicklythroughthepalacehall，anddowntheloftysteps，nordidhebreathefreelytillhefoundhimselfaloneunderthehugeelmsofthesilentclose。Herehewalkedlongandslowly，thinkingonhiscasewithatroubledair，andtryinginvaintoconfutethearchdeacon’sargument。
Hethenwenthome，resolvedtobearitall——ignominy，suspense，disgrace，self-doubt，andheart-burning——andtodoasthosewouldhavehim，whohestillbelievedweremostfitandmostabletocounselhimaright。
TribulationMrHardingwasasaddermanthanhehadeveryetbeenwhenhereturnedtohisownhouse。Hehadbeenwretchedenoughonthatwell-rememberedmorningwhenhewasforcedtoexposebeforehisson-in-lawthepublisher’saccountforusheringintotheworldhisdearbookofsacredmusic:whenaftermakingsuchpaymentsashecoulddounassisted，hefoundthathewasadebtorofmorethanthreehundredpounds；buthissufferingsthenwereasnothingtohispresentmisery；——thenhehaddonewrong，andheknewit，andwasabletoresolvethathewouldnotsininlikemanneragain；butnowhecouldmakenoresolution，andcomforthimselfbynopromisesoffirmness。Hehadbeenforcedtothinkthathislothadplacedhiminafalseposition，andhewasabouttomaintainthatpositionagainsttheopinionoftheworldandagainsthisownconvictions。
Hehadreadwithpity，amountingalmosttohorror，thestrictureswhichhadappearedfromtimetotimeagainsttheEarlofGuildfordasmasterofStCross，andtheinvectivesthathadbeenheapedonrichdiocesandignitariesandovergrownsinecurepluralists。Injudgingofthem，hejudgedleniently；
thewholebiasofhisprofessionhadtaughthimtothinkthattheyweremoresinnedagainstthansinning，andthattheanimositywithwhichtheyhadbeenpursuedwasvenomousandunjust；buthehadnotthelessregardedtheirplightasmostmiserable。
Hishairhadstoodonendandhisfleshhadcreptashereadthethingswhichhadbeenwritten；hehadwonderedhowmencouldliveundersuchaloadofdisgrace；howtheycouldfacetheirfellow-creatureswhiletheirnameswerebandiedaboutsoinjuriouslyandsopublicly——andnowthislotwastobehis——he，thatshy，retiringman，whohadsocomfortedhimselfinthehiddenobscurityofhislot，whohadsoenjoyedtheunassumingwarmthofhisownlittlecorner，hewasnowdraggedforthintotheglaringday，andgibbetedbeforeferociousmultitudes。Heenteredhisownhouseacrestfallen，humiliatedman，withoutahopeofovercomingthewretchednesswhichaffectedhim。
Hewanderedintothedrawing-roomwherewashisdaughter；
buthecouldnotspeaktohernow，soheleftit，andwentintothebook-room。HewasnotquickenoughtoescapeEleanor’sglance，ortopreventherfromseeingthathewasdisturbed；
andinalittlewhileshefollowedhim。Shefoundhimseatedinhisaccustomedchairwithnobookopenbeforehim，nopenreadyinhishand，noill-shapennotesofblottedmusiclyingbeforehimaswasusual，noneofthosehospitalaccountswithwhichhewassopreciseandyetsounmethodical:hewasdoingnothing，thinkingofnothing，lookingatnothing；
hewasmerelysuffering。
’Leaveme，Eleanor，mydear，’hesaid；’leaveme，mydarling，forafewminutes，forIambusy。’
Eleanorsawwellhowitwas，butshedidleavehim，andglidedsilentlybacktoherdrawing-room。Whenhehadsatawhile，thusaloneandunoccupied，hegotuptowalkagain——
hecouldmakemoreofhisthoughtswalkingthansitting，andwascreepingoutintohisgarden，whenhemetBunceonthethreshold。
’Well，Bunce，’saidhe，inatonethatforhimwassharp，’whatisit？doyouwantme？’
’Iwasonlycomingtoaskafteryourreverence，’saidtheoldbedesman，touchinghishat；’andtoinquireaboutthenewsfromLondon，’headdedafterapause。
Thewardenwinced，andputhishandtohisforeheadandfeltbewildered。
’AttorneyFinneyhasbeentherethismorning，’continuedBunce，’andbyhislooksIguessheisnotsowellpleasedasheoncewas，andithasgotabroadsomehowthatthearchdeaconhashaddowngreatnewsfromLondon，andHandyandMoodyarebothasblackasdevils。AndIhope，’saidtheman，tryingtoassumeacheerytone，’thatthingsarelookingup，andthatthere’llbeanendsoontoallthisstuffwhichbothersyourreverencesosorely。’
’Well，Iwishtheremaybe，Bunce。’
’Butaboutthenews，yourreverence？’saidtheoldman，almostwhispering。
MrHardingwalkedon，andshookhisheadimpatiently。
PoorBuncelittleknewhowhewastormentinghispatron。
’Iftherewasanythingtocheeryou，Ishouldbesogladtoknowit，’saidhe，withatoneofaffectionwhichthewardeninallhismiserycouldnotresist。
Hestopped，andtookboththeoldman’shandsinhis。
’Myfriend，’saidhe，’mydearoldfriend，thereisnothing；
thereisnonewstocheerme——God’swillbedone’:andtwosmallhottearsbrokeawayfromhiseyesandstoledownhisfurrowedcheeks。
’ThenGod’swillbedone，’saidtheothersolemnly；’buttheytoldmethattherewasgoodnewsfromLondon，andI
cametowishyourreverencejoy；butGod’swillbedone，’
andsothewardenagainwalkedon，andthebedesman，lookingwistfullyafterhimandreceivingnoencouragementtofollow，returnedsadlytohisownabode。
Foracoupleofhoursthewardenremainedthusinthegarden，nowwalking，nowstandingmotionlessontheturf，andthen，ashislegsgotweary，sittingunconsciouslyonthegardenseats，andthenwalkingagain。AndEleanor，hiddenbehindthemuslincurtainsofthewindow，watchedhimthroughthetreesashenowcameinsight，andthenagainwasconcealedbytheturningsofthewalk；andthusthetimepassedawaytillfive，whenthewardencreptbacktothehouseandpreparedfordinner。
Itwasbutasorrymeal。Thedemureparlour-maid，asshehandedthedishesandchangedtheplates，sawthatallwasnotright，andwasmoredemurethanever:neitherfathernordaughtercouldeat，andthehatefulfoodwassoonclearedaway，andthebottleofportplaceduponthetable。