Eleanorwascertainlythinkingmoreofherfatherthanherself，asshearrangedherhairbeforetheglass，andremovedthetracesofsorrowfromherface；andyetIshouldbeuntrueifIsaidthatshewasnotanxioustoappearwellbeforeherlover:
whyelsewasshesosedulouswiththatstubborncurlthatwouldrebelagainstherhand，andsmoothsoeagerlyherruffledribands？whyelsedidshedamphereyestodispeltheredness，andbiteherprettylipstobringbackthecolour？Ofcourseshewasanxioustolookherbest，forshewasbutamortalangelafterall。Buthadshebeenimmortal，hadsheflittedbacktothesitting-roomonacherub’swings，shecouldnothavehadamorefaithfulheart，oratruerwishtosaveherfatheratanycosttoherself。
JohnBoldhadnotmethersincethedaywhenshelefthimindudgeoninthecathedralclose。Sincethathiswholetimehadbeenoccupiedinpromotingthecauseagainstherfather，andnotunsuccessfully。Hehadoftenthoughtofher，andturnedoverinhismindahundredschemesforshowingherhowdisinterestedwashislove。Hewouldwritetoherandbeseechhernottoallowtheperformanceofapublicdutytoinjurehiminherestimation；hewouldwritetoMrHarding，explainallhisviews，andboldlyclaimthewarden’sdaughter，urgingthattheuntowardcircumstancesbetweenthemneedbenobartotheirancientfriendship，ortoaclosertie；hewouldthrowhimselfonhiskneesbeforehismistress；hewouldwaitandmarrythedaughterwhenthefatherhaslosthishomeandhisincome；hewouldgiveupthelawsuitandgotoAustralia，withherofcourse，leavingTheJupiterandMrFinneytocompletethecasebetweenthem。Sometimesashewokeinthemorningfeveredandimpatient，hewouldblowouthisbrainsandhavedonewithallhiscares——butthisideawasgenerallyconsequentonanimprudentsupperenjoyedincompanywithTomTowers。
HowbeautifulEleanorappearedtohimassheslowlywalkedintotheroom！Notfornothinghadallthoselittlecaresbeentaken。Thoughhersister，thearchdeacon’swife，hadspokenslightinglyofhercharms，Eleanorwasverybeautifulwhenseenaright。Herswasnotofthoseimpassivefaces，whichhavethebeautyofamarblebust；finelychiselledfeatures，perfectineveryline，truetotherulesofsymmetry，aslovelytoastrangerastoafriend，unvaryingunlessinsickness，orasageaffectsthem。Shehadnostartlingbrilliancyofbeauty，nopearlywhiteness，noradiantcarnation。Shehadnotthemajesticcontourthatrivetsattention，demandsinstantwonderandthendisappointsbythecoldnessofitscharms。YoumightpassEleanorHardinginthestreetwithoutnotice，butyoucouldhardlypassaneveningwithherandnotloseyourheart。
Shehadneverappearedmorelovelytoherloverthanshenowdid。Herfacewasanimatedthoughitwasserious，andherfulldarklustrouseyesshonewithanxiousenergy；herhandtrembledasshetookhis，andshecouldhardlypronouncehisname，whensheaddressedhim。BoldwishedwithallhisheartthattheAustralianschemewasintheactofrealisation，andthatheandEleanorwereawaytogether，nevertohearfurtherofthelawsuit。
Hebegantotalk，askedafterherhealth——saidsomethingaboutLondonbeingverystupid，andmoreaboutBarchesterbeingverypleasant；declaredtheweathertobeveryhot，andtheninquiredafterMrHarding。
’Myfatherisnotverywell，’saidEleanor。
JohnBoldwasverysorry，sosorry:hehopeditwasnothingserious，andputontheunmeaninglysolemnfacewhichpeopleusuallyuseonsuchoccasions。
’Iespeciallywanttospeaktoyouaboutmyfather，MrBold；
indeed，Iamnowhereonpurposetodoso。Papaisveryunhappy，veryunhappyindeed，aboutthisaffairofthehospital:
youwouldpityhim，MrBold，ifyoucouldseehowwretchedithasmadehim。’
’Oh，MissHarding！’
’Indeedyouwould——anyonewouldpityhim；butafriend，anoldfriendasyouare——indeedyouwould。Heisanalteredman；hischeerfulnesshasallgone，andhissweettemper，andhiskindhappytoneofvoice；youwouldhardlyknowhimifyousawhim，MrBold，heissomuchaltered；and——and——ifthisgoeson，hewilldie。’HereEleanorhadrecoursetoherhandkerchief，andsoalsohadherauditors；butshepluckeduphercourage，andwentonwithhertale。’Hewillbreakhisheart，anddie。Iamsure，MrBold，itwasnotyouwhowrotethosecruelthingsinthenewspaper——’
JohnBoldeagerlyprotestedthatitwasnot，buthisheartsmotehimastohisintimatealliancewithTomTowers。
’No，Iamsureitwasnot；andpapahasnotforamomentthoughtso；youwouldnotbesocruel——butithasnearlykilledhim。Papacannotbeartothinkthatpeopleshouldsospeakofhim，andthateverybodyshouldhearhimsospokenof:——theyhavecalledhimavaricious，anddishonest，andtheysayheisrobbingtheoldmen，andtakingthemoneyofthehospitalfornothing。’
’Ihaveneversaidso，MissHarding。I——’
’No，’continuedEleanor，interruptinghim，forshewasnowinthefullflood-tideofhereloquence；’no，Iamsureyouhavenot；butothershavesaidso；andifthisgoeson，ifsuchthingsarewrittenagain，itwillkillpapa。Oh！MrBold，ifyouonlyknewthestateheisin！Nowpapadoesnotcaremuchaboutmoney。’
Bothherauditors，brotherandsister，assentedtothis，anddeclaredontheirownknowledgethatnomanlivedlessaddictedtofilthylucrethanthewarden。
’Oh！it’ssokindofyoutosayso，Mary，andofyoutoo，MrBold。Icouldn’tbearthatpeopleshouldthinkunjustlyofpapa。Doyouknowhewouldgiveupthehospitalaltogether，onlyhecannot。Thearchdeaconsaysitwouldbecowardly，andthathewouldbedesertinghisorder，andinjuringthechurch。Whatevermayhappen，papawillnotdothat:hewouldleavetheplacetomorrowwillingly，andgiveuphishouse，andtheincomeandallifthearchdeacon——’
Eleanorwasgoingtosay’wouldlethim，’butshestoppedherselfbeforeshehadcompromisedherfather’sdignity；andgivingalongsigh，sheadded——’Oh，Idosowishhewould。’
’NoonewhoknowsMrHardingpersonallyaccuseshimforamoment，’saidBold。
’Itishethathastobearthepunishment；itishethatsuffers，’saidEleanor；’andwhatfor？whathashedonewrong？howhashedeservedthispersecution？hethatneverhadanunkindthoughtinhislife，hethatneversaidanunkindword！’andhereshebrokedown，andtheviolenceofhersobsstoppedherutterance。
Bold，forthefifthorsixthtime，declaredthatneitherhenoranyofhisfriendsimputedanyblamepersonallytoMrHarding。
’Thenwhyshouldhebepersecuted？’ejaculatedEleanorthroughhertears，forgettinginhereagernessthatherintentionhadbeentohumbleherselfasasuppliantbeforeJohnBold——
’whyshouldhebesingledoutforscornanddisgrace？whyshouldhebemadesowretched？Oh！MrBold’——andsheturnedtowardshimasthoughthekneelingscenewereabouttobecommenced——’oh！MrBold，whydidyoubeginallthis？You，whomweallso——so——valued！’
Tospeakthetruth，thereformer’spunishmentwascertainlycomeuponhim，forhispresentplightwasnotenviable；hehadnothingforitbuttoexcusehimselfbyplatitudesaboutpublicduty，whichitisbynomeansworthwhiletorepeat，andtoreiteratehiseulogyonMrHarding’scharacter。Hispositionwascertainlyacruelone:hadanygentlemancalleduponhimonbehalfofMrHardinghecouldofcoursehavedeclinedtoenteruponthesubject；buthowcouldhedosowithabeautifulgirl，withthedaughterofthemanwhomhehadinjured，withhisownlove？
InthemeantimeEleanorrecollectedherself，andagainsummonedupherenergies。’MrBold，’saidshe，’Ihavecomeheretoimploreyoutoabandonthisproceeding。’Hestoodupfromhisseat，andlookedbeyondmeasuredistressed。
’Toimploreyoutoabandonit，toimploreyoutosparemyfather，tospareeitherhislifeorhisreason，foroneortheotherwillpaytheforfeitifthisgoeson。IknowhowmuchIamasking，andhowlittlerightIhavetoaskanything；butIthinkyouwilllistentomeasitisformyfather。Oh，MrBold，pray，praydothisforus——praydonotdrivetodistractionamanwhohaslovedyousowell。’
Shedidnotabsolutelykneeltohim，butshefollowedhimashemovedfromhischair，andlaidhersofthandsimploringlyuponhisarm。Ah！atanyothertimehowexquisitelyvaluablewouldhavebeenthattouch！butnowhewasdistraught，dumbfoundedandunmanned。Whatcouldhesaytothatsweetsuppliant；howexplaintoherthatthematternowwasprobablybeyondhiscontrol；howtellherthathecouldnotquellthestormwhichhehadraised？
’Surely，surely，John，youcannotrefuseher，’saidhissister。
’Iwouldgivehermysoul，’saidhe，’ifitwouldserveher。’
’Oh，MrBold，’saidEleanor，’donotspeakso；Iasknothingformyself；andwhatIaskformyfather，itcannotharmyoutogrant。’
’Iwouldgivehermysoul，ifitwouldserveher，’saidBold，stilladdressinghissister；’everythingIhaveishers，ifshewillacceptit；myhouse，myheart，myall；everyhopeofmybreastiscentredinher；hersmilesaresweetertomethanthesun，andwhenIseeherinsorrowasshenowis，everynerveinmybodysuffers。NomancanlovebetterthanIloveher。’
’No，no，no，’ejaculatedEleanor；’therecanbenotalkoflovebetweenus。Willyouprotectmyfatherfromtheevilyouhavebroughtuponhim？’
’Oh，Eleanor，Iwilldoanything；letmetellyouhowI
loveyou！’
’No，no，no！’shealmostscreamed。’Thisisunmanlyofyou，MrBold。Willyou，willyou，willyouleavemyfathertodieinpeaceinhisquiethome？’andseizinghimbyhisarmandhand，shefollowedhimacrosstheroomtowardsthedoor。
’Iwillnotleaveyoutillyoupromiseme；I’llclingtoyouinthestreet；I’llkneeltoyoubeforeallthepeople。Youshallpromisemethis，youshallpromisemethis，youshall——’Andsheclungtohimwithfixedtenacity，andreiteratedherresolvewithhystericalpassion。
’Speaktoher，John；answerher，’saidMary，bewilderedbytheunexpectedvehemenceofEleanor’smanner；’youcannothavethecrueltytorefuseher。’
’Promiseme，promiseme，’saidEleanor；’saythatmyfatherissafe——onewordwilldo。Iknowhowtrueyouare；
sayoneword，andIwillletyougo。’