第24章
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  ’Butthearchdeacon,papa?’

  ’Ican’thelpit,mydear;therearesomethingswhichamancannotbear——Icannotbearthat’;andheputhishanduponthenewspaper。

  ’Butwillthearchdeacongowithyou?’

  Totellthetruth,MrHardinghadmadeuphismindtostealamarchuponthearchdeacon。Hewasawarethathecouldtakenostepswithoutinforminghisdreadson-in-law,buthehadresolvedthathewouldsendoutanotetoPlumsteadEpiscopidetailinghisplans,butthatthemessengershouldnotleaveBarchestertillhehimselfhadstartedforLondon;

  sothathemightbeadaybeforethedoctor,who,hehadnodoubt,wouldfollowhim。Inthatday,ifhehadluck,hemightarrangeitall;hemightexplaintoSirAbrahamthathe,aswarden,wouldhavenothingfurthertodowiththedefenceabouttobesetup;hemightsendinhisofficialresignationtohisfriendthebishop,andsomakepublicthewholetransaction,thateventhedoctorwouldnotbeabletoundowhathehaddone。Heknewtoowellthedoctor’sstrengthandhisownweaknesstosupposehecoulddothis,iftheybothreachedLondontogether;indeed,hewouldneverbeabletogettoLondon,ifthedoctorknewofhisintendedjourneyintimetopreventit。

  ’No,Ithinknot,’saidhe。’IthinkIshallstartbeforethearchdeaconcouldbeready——Ishallgoearlytomorrowmorning。’

  ’Thatwillbebest,papa,’saidEleanor,showingthatherfather’srusewasappreciated。

  ’Whyyes,mylove。Thefactis,Iwishtodoallthisbeforethearchdeaconcan——caninterfere。Thereisagreatdealoftruthinallhesays——hearguesverywell,andIcan’talwaysanswerhim;butthereisanoldsaying,Nelly:“Everyoneknowswherehisownshoepinches!“He’llsaythatIwantmoralcourage,andstrengthofcharacter,andpowerofendurance,andit’salltrue;butI’msureIoughtnottoremainhere,ifI

  havenothingbettertoputforwardthanaquibble:so,Nelly,weshallhavetoleavethisprettyplace。’

  Eleanor’sfacebrightenedup,assheassuredherfatherhowcordiallysheagreedwithhim。

  ’True,mylove,’saidhe,nowagainquitehappyandateaseinhismanner。’Whatgoodtousisthisplaceorallthemoney,ifwearetobeill-spokenof?’

  ’Oh,papa,Iamsoglad!’

  ’Mydarlingchild!Itdidcostmeapangatfirst,Nelly,tothinkthatyoushouldloseyourprettydrawing-room,andyourponies,andyourgarden:thegardenwillbetheworstofall——

  butthereisagardenatCrabtree,averyprettygarden。’

  CrabtreeParvawasthenameofthesmalllivingwhichMrHardinghadheldasaminorcanon,andwhichstillbelongedtohim。Itwasonlyworthsomeeightypoundsayear,andasmallhouseandglebe,allofwhichwerenowhandedovertoMrHarding’scurate;butitwastoCrabtreeglebethatMrHardingthoughtofretiring。Thisparishmustnotbemistakenforthatotherliving,CrabtreeCanonicorum,asitiscalled。CrabtreeCanonicorumisaverynicething;thereareonlytwohundredparishioners;therearefourhundredacresofglebe;andthegreatandsmalltithes,whichbothgototherector,areworthfourhundredpoundsayearmore。CrabtreeCanonicorumisinthegiftofthedeanandchapter,andisatthistimepossessedbytheHonourableandReverendDrVeseyStanhope,whoalsofillstheprebendalstallofGoosegorgeinBarchesterChapter,andholdstheunitedrectoryofEiderdownandStogpingum,orStokePinquium,asitshouldbewritten。ThisisthesameDrVeseyStanhopewhosehospitablevillaontheLakeofComoissowellknowntotheeliteofEnglishtravellers,andwhosecollectionofLombardbutterfliesissupposedtobeunique。

  ’Yes,’saidthewarden,musing,’thereisaveryprettygardenatCrabtree;butIshallbesorrytodisturbpoorSmith。’

  SmithwasthecurateofCrabtree,agentlemanwhowasmaintainingawifeandhalfadozenchildrenontheincomearisingfromhisprofession。

  Eleanorassuredherfatherthat,asfarasshewasconcerned,shecouldleaveherhouseandherponieswithoutasingleregret。Shewasonlysohappythathewasgoing——goingwherehewouldescapeallthisdreadfulturmoil。

  ’Butwewilltakethemusic,mydear。’

  Andsotheywentonplanningtheirfuturehappiness,andplottinghowtheywouldarrangeitallwithouttheinterpositionofthearchdeacon,andatlasttheyagainbecameconfidential,andthenthewardendidthankherforwhatshehaddone,andEleanor,lyingonherfather’sshoulder,didfindanopportunitytotellhersecret:andthefathergavehisblessingtohischild,andsaidthatthemanwhomshelovedwashonest,good,andkind-hearted,andright-thinkinginthemain——onewhowantedonlyagoodwifetoputhimquiteupright——’aman,mylove,’heendedbysaying,’towhomIfirmlybelievethatIcantrustmytreasurewithsafety。’

  ’ButwhatwillDrGrantlysay?’

  ’Well,mydear,itcan’tbehelped——weshallbeoutatCrabtreethen。’

  AndEleanorranupstairstoprepareherfather’sclothesforhisjourney;andthewardenreturnedtohisgardentomakehislastadieuxtoeverytree,andshrub,andshadynookthatheknewsowell。

  MountOlympusWretchedinspirit,groaningunderthefeelingofinsult,self-condemning,andill-satisfiedineveryway,BoldreturnedtohisLondonlodgings。Illashehadfaredinhisinter-viewwiththearchdeacon,hewasnotthelessunderthenecessityofcarryingouthispledgetoEleanor;andhewentabouthisungracioustaskwithaheavyheart。

  TheattorneyswhomhehademployedinLondonreceivedhisinstructionswithsurpriseandevidentmisgiving;however,theycouldonlyobey,andmuttersomethingoftheirsorrowthatsuchheavycostsshouldonlyfallupontheirownemployer——especiallyasnothingwaswantingbutperseverancetothrowthemontheoppositeparty。Boldlefttheofficewhichhehadlatterlysomuchfrequented,shakingthedustfromoffhisfeet;andbeforehewasdownthestairs,anedicthadalreadygoneforthforthepreparationofthebill。

  Henextthoughtofthenewspapers。Thecasehadbeentakenupbymorethanone;andhewaswellawarethatthekeynotehadbeensoundedbyTheJupiter。HehadbeenveryintimatewithTomTowers,andhadoftendiscussedwithhimtheaffairsofthehospital。Boldcouldnotsaythatthearticlesinthatpaperhadbeenwrittenathisowninstigation。Hedidnotevenknow,asafact,thattheyhadbeenwrittenbyhisfriend。TomTowershadneversaidthatsuchaviewofthecase,orsuchasideinthedispute,wouldbetakenbythepaperwithwhichhewasconnected。VerydiscreetinsuchmatterswasTomTowers,andaltogetherindisposedtotalklooselyoftheconcernsofthatmightyengineofwhichitwashishighprivilegetomoveinsecretsomeportion。NeverthelessBoldbelievedthattohimwereowingthosedreadfulwordswhichhadcausedsuchpanicatBarchester——andheconceivedhimselfboundtopreventtheirrepetition。Withthisviewhebetookhimselffromtheattorneys’tothatlaboratorywhere,withamazingchemistry,TomTowerscompoundedthunderboltsforthedestructionofallthatisevil,andforthefurtheranceofallthatisgood,inthisandotherhemispheres。

  WhohasnotheardofMountOlympus——thathighabodeofallthepowersoftype,thatfavouredseatofthegreatgoddessPica,thatwondroushabitationofgodsanddevils,fromwhence,withceaselesshumofsteamandnever-endingflowofCastalianink,issueforthfiftythousandnightlyedictsforthegovernanceofasubjectnation?

  Velvetandgildingdonotmakeathrone,norgoldandjewelsasceptre。Itisathronebecausethemostexaltedonesitsthere——andasceptrebecausethemostmightyonewieldsit。SoitiswithMountOlympus。Shouldastrangermakehiswaythitheratdullnoonday,orduringthesleepyhoursofthesilentafternoon,hewouldfindnoacknowledgedtempleofpowerandbeauty,nofittingfaneforthegreatThunderer,noproudfacadesandpillaredroofstosupportthedignityofthisgreatestofearthlypotentates。Totheoutwardanduninitiatedeye,MountOlympusisasomewhathumblespot,undistinguished,unadorned——nay,almostmean。Itstandsalone,asitwere,inamightycity,closetothedensestthrongofmen,butpartakingneitherofthenoisenorthecrowd;asmallsecluded,drearyspot,tenanted,onewouldsay,byquiteunambitiouspeopleattheeasiestrents。’IsthisMountOlympus?’askstheunbelievingstranger。’Isitfromthesesmall,dark,dingybuildingsthatthoseinfalliblelawsproceedwhichcabinetsarecalledupontoobey;bywhichbishopsaretobeguided,lordsandcommonscontrolled,judgesinstructedinlaw,generalsinstrategy,admiralsinnavaltactics,andorange-womeninthemanagementoftheirbarrows?’’Yes,myfriend——fromthesewalls。FromhereissuetheonlyknowninfalliblebullsfortheguidanceofBritishsoulsandbodies。

  ThislittlecourtistheVaticanofEngland。Herereignsapope,self-nominated,self-consecrated——ay,andmuchstrangertoo——self-believing!——apopewhom,ifyoucannotobeyhim,Iwouldadviseyoutodisobeyassilentlyaspossible;apopehithertoafraidofnoLuther;apopewhomanageshisowninquisition,whopunishesunbelieversasnomostskilfulinquisitorofSpaineverdreamtofdoing——onewhocanexcommunicatethoroughly,fearfully,radically;putyoubeyondthepaleofmen’scharity;makeyouodioustoyourdearestfriends,andturnyouintoamonstertobepointedatbythefinger!’

  Ohheavens!andthisisMountOlympus!

  ItisafactamazingtoordinarymortalsthatTheJupiterisneverwrong。Withwhatendlesscare,withwhatunsparinglabour,dowenotstrivetogettogetherforourgreatnationalcouncilthemenmostfittingtocomposeit。Andhowwefail!

  Parliamentisalwayswrong:lookatTheJupiter,andseehowfutilearetheirmeetings,howvaintheircouncil,howneedlessalltheirtrouble!Withwhatpridedoweregardourchiefministers,thegreatservantsofstate,theoligarchsofthenationonwhosewisdomwelean,towhomwelookforguidanceinourdifficulties!ButwhataretheytothewritersofTheJupiter?

  Theyholdcounciltogetherandwithanxiousthoughtpainfullyelaboratetheircountry’sgood;butwhenallisdone,TheJupiterdeclaresthatallisnaught。WhyshouldwelooktoLordJohnRussell——whyshouldweregardPalmerstonandGladstone,whenTomTowerswithoutastrugglecanputusright?Lookatourgenerals,whatfaultstheymake;atouradmirals,howinactivetheyare。Whatmoney,honesty,andsciencecando,isdone;andyethowbadlyareourtroopsbroughttogether,fed,conveyed,clothed,armed,andmanaged。

  Themostexcellentofourgoodmendotheirbesttomanourships,withtheassistanceofallpossibleexternalappliances;butinvain。All,alliswrong——alas!alas!TomTowers,andhealone,knowsallaboutit。Why,ohwhy,yeearthlyministers,whyhaveyenotfollowedmorecloselythisheaven-sentmessengerthatisamongus?

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