Therewasanotherperiodofsilence，afterwhichthebishopasked，withadegreeofirritableenergyveryunusualwithhim，whetherthis’pestilentintruder’meaningJohnBoldhadanyfriendsinBarchester。
MrHardinghadfullymadeuphismindtotellthebishopeverything；tospeakofhisdaughter’slove，aswellashisowntroubles；totalkofJohnBoldinhisdoublecapacityoffutureson-in-lawandpresentenemy；andthoughhefeltittobesufficientlydisagreeable，nowwashistimetodoit。
’Heisveryintimateatmyownhouse，bishop。’Thebishopstared。Hewasnotsofargoneinorthodoxyandchurchmilitancyashisson，butstillhecouldnotbringhimselftounderstandhowsodeclaredanenemyoftheestablishmentcouldbeadmittedontermsofintimacyintothehouse，notonlyofsofirmapillarasMrHarding，butonesomuchinjuredasthewardenofthehospital。
’Indeed，IlikeMrBoldmuch，personally，’continuedthedisinterestedvictim；’andtotellyouthe“truth“’——hehesitatedashebroughtoutthedreadfultidings——’Ihavesometimesthoughtitnotimprobablethathewouldbemysecondson-in-law。’
Thebishopdidnotwhistle:webelievethattheylosethepowerofdoingsoonbeingconsecrated；andthatinthesedaysonemightaseasilymeetacorruptjudgeasawhistlingbishop；buthelookedasthoughhewouldhavedoneso，butforhisapron。
Whatabrother-in-lawforthearchdeacon！whatanallianceforBarchesterclose！whataconnectionforeventheepiscopalpalace！Thebishop，inhissimplemind，feltnodoubtthatJohnBold，hadhesomuchpower，wouldshutupallcathedrals，andprobablyallparishchurches；distributealltithesamongMethodists，Baptists，andothersavagetribes；utterlyannihilatethesacredbench，andmakeshovelhatsandlawnsleevesasillegalascowls，sandals，andsackcloth！Herewasanicemantobeinitiatedintothecomfortablearcanaofecclesiasticalsnuggeries；onewhodoubtedtheintegrityofparsons，andprobablydisbelievedtheTrinity！
MrHardingsawwhataneffecthiscommunicationhadmade，andalmostrepentedtheopennessofhisdisclosure；he，however，didwhathecouldtomoderatethegriefofhisfriendandpatron。’Idonotsaythatthereisanyengagementbetweenthem。Hadtherebeen，Eleanorwouldhavetoldme；Iknowherwellenoughtobeassuredthatshewouldhavedoneso；butIseethattheyarefondofeachother；andasamanandafather，I
havehadnoobjectiontourgeagainsttheirintimacy。’
’But，MrHarding，’saidthebishop，’howareyoutoopposehim，ifheisyourson-in-law？’
’Idon’tmeantoopposehim；itishewhoopposesme；ifanythingistobedoneindefence，IsupposeChadwickwilldoit。Isuppose——’
’Oh，thearchdeaconwillseetothat:weretheyoungmantwicehisbrother-in-law，thearchdeaconwillneverbedeterredfromdoingwhathefeelstoberight。’
MrHardingremindedthebishopthatthearchdeaconandthereformerwerenotyetbrothers，andveryprobablyneverwouldbe；exactedfromhimapromisethatEleanor’snameshouldnotbementionedinanydiscussionbetweenthefatherbishopandsonarchdeaconrespectingthehospital；andthentookhisdeparture，leavinghispooroldfriendbewildered，amazed，andconfounded。
Hiram’sBedesmenThepartiesmostinterestedinthemovementwhichisabouttosetBarchesterbytheearswerenottheforemosttodiscussthemeritofthequestion，asisoftenthecase；butwhenthebishop，thearchdeacon，thewarden，thesteward，andMessrsCoxandCummins，wereallbusywiththematter，eachinhisownway，itisnottobesupposedthatHiram’sbedesmenthemselveswerealtogetherpassivespectators。
Finney，theattorney，hadbeenamongthem，askingslyquestions，andraisingimmoderatehopes，creatingapartyhostiletothewarden，andestablishingacorpsintheenemy’scamp，ashefigurativelycallsittohimself。Pooroldmen:whoevermayberightedorwrongedbythisinquiry，theyatanyratewillassuredlybeonlyinjured:tothemitcanonlybeanunmixedevil。Howcantheirlotbeimproved？alltheirwantsaresupplied；everycomfortisadministered；theyhavewarmhouses，goodclothes，plentifuldiet，andrestafteralifeoflabour；andaboveall，thattreasuresoinestimableindecliningyears，atrueandkindfriendtolistentotheirsorrows，watchovertheirsickness，andadministercomfortasregardsthisworld，andtheworldtocome！
JohnBoldsometimesthinksofthis，whenheistalkingloudlyoftherightsofthebedesmen，whomhehastakenunderhisprotection；buthequietsthesuggestionwithinhisbreastwiththehigh-soundingnameofjustice:’Fiatjustitiaruatcoelum。’Theseoldmenshould，byrights，haveonehundredpoundsayearinsteadofoneshillingandsixpenceaday，andthewardenshouldhavetwohundredorthreehundredpoundsinsteadofeighthundredpounds。Whatisunjustmustbewrong；whatiswrongshouldberighted；andifhedeclinedthetask，whoelsewoulddoit？
’Eachoneofyouisclearlyentitledtoonehundredpoundsayearbycommonlaw’:suchhadbeentheimportantwhispermadebyFinneyintotheearsofAbelHandy，andbyhimretailedtohiselevenbrethren。
ToomuchmustnotbeexpectedfromthefleshandbloodevenofJohnHiram’sbedesmen，andthepositivepromiseofonehundredayeartoeachofthetwelveoldmenhaditswaywithmostofthem。ThegreatBuncewasnottobewiledaway，andwasupheldinhisorthodoxybytwoadherents。AbelHandy，whowastheleaderoftheaspirantsafterwealth，had，alas，astrongerfollowing。Nolessthanfiveofthetwelvesoonbelievedthathisviewswerejust，makingwiththeirleaderamoietyofthehospital。Theotherthree，volatileunstableminds，vacillatedbetweenthetwochieftains，nowledawaybythehopeofgold，nowanxioustopropitiatethepowersthatstillexisted。
Ithadbeenproposedtoaddressapetitiontothebishopasvisitor，prayinghislordshiptoseejusticedonetothelegalrecipientsofJohnHiram’sCharity，andtosendcopiesofthispetitionandofthereplyitwouldelicittoalltheleadingLondonpapers，andtherebytoobtainnotorietyforthesubject。Thisitwasthoughtwouldpavethewayforulteriorlegalproceedings。
Itwouldhavebeenagreatthingtohavehadthesignaturesandmarksofallthetwelveinjuredlegatees；butthiswasimpossible:Buncewouldhavecuthishandoffsoonerthanhavesignedit。ItwasthensuggestedbyFinneythatifevenelevencouldbeinducedtosanctionthedocument，theoneobstinaterecusantmighthavebeenrepresentedasunfittojudgeonsuchaquestion——infact，asbeingnoncomposmentis——
andthepetitionwouldhavebeentakenasrepresentingthefeelingofthemen。Butthiscouldnotbedone:Bunce’sfriendswereasfirmashimself，andasyetonlysixcrossesadornedthedocument。Itwasthemoreprovoking，asBuncehimselfcouldwritehisnamelegibly，andoneofthosethreedoubtingsoulshadforyearsboastedoflikepower，andpossessed，indeed，aBible，inwhichhewasproudtoshowhisnamewrittenbyhimselfsomethirtyyearsago——’JobSkulpit’；
butitwasthoughtthatjobSkulpit，havingforgottenhisscholarship，onthataccountrecoiledfromthepetition，andthattheotherdoubterswouldfollowasheledthem。Apetitionsignedbyhalfthehospitalwouldhavebutapooreffect。
ItwasinSkulpit’sroomthatthepetitionwasnowlying，waitingsuchadditionalsignaturesasAbelHandy，byhiseloquence，couldobtainforit。Thesixmarksitboreweredulyattested，thus:
hishishisAbelXHandy，GregoryXMoody，MathewXSpriggs，markmarkmark&c。，andplacesweredulydesignatedinpencilforthosebrethrenwhowerenowexpectedtojoin:forSkulpitalonewasleftaspotonwhichhisgenuinesignaturemightbewritteninfairclerk-likestyle。Handyhadbroughtinthedocument，andspreaditoutonthesmalldealtable，andwasnowstandingbyitpersuasiveandeager。Moodyhadfollowedwithaninkhorn，carefullyleftbehindbyFinney；andSpriggsborealoft，asthoughitwereasword，awell-wornink-blackpen，whichfromtimetotimeheendeavouredtothrustintoSkulpit’sunwillinghand。
Withthelearnedmanwerehistwoabettorsinindecision，WilliamGazyandJonathanCrumple。Ifeverthepetitionweretobeforwarded，nowwasthetime，sosaidMrFinney；
andgreatwastheanxietyonthepartofthosewhoseonehundredpoundsayear，astheybelieved，mainlydependedonthedocumentinquestion。
’Tobekeptoutofallthatmoney，’astheavariciousMoodyhadmutteredtohisfriendHandy，’byanoldfoolsayingthathecanwritehisownnamelikehisbetters！’
’Well，job，’saidHandy，tryingtoimparttohisownsour，ill-omenedvisageasmileofapprobation，inwhichhegreatlyfailed；’soyou’rereadynow，MrFinneysays；here’stheplace，d’yesee’——andheputhishugebrownfingerdownonthedirtypaper-’nameormark，it’sallone。Comealong，oldboy；ifsobewe’retohavethespendingofthismoney，whythesoonerthebetter——that’smymaxim。’
’Tobesure，’saidMoody。’Wea’n’tnoneofussoyoung；
wecan’tstaywaitingforoldCatgutnolonger。’
Itwasthusthesemiscreantsnamedourexcellentfriend。
Thenicknamehecouldeasilyhaveforgiven，buttheallusiontothedivinesourceofallhismelodiousjoywouldhaveirritatedevenhim。Letushopeheneverknewtheinsult。
’Onlythink，oldBillyGazy，’saidSpriggs，whorejoicedingreateryouththanhisbrethren，buthavingfallenintoafirewhendrunk，hadhadoneeyeburntout，onecheekburntthrough，andonearmnearlyburntoff，andwho，therefore，inregardtopersonalappearance，wasnotthemostprepossessingofmen，’ahundredayear，andalltospend；onlythink，oldBillyGazy’；andhegaveahideousgrinthatshowedoffhismisfortunestotheirfullextent。
OldBillyGazywasnotalivetomuchenthusiasm。Eventhesegoldenprospectsdidnotarousehimtodomorethanrubhispooroldblearedeyeswiththecuffofhisbedesman’sgown，andgentlymutter；’hedidn’tknow，nothe；hedidn’tknow。’
’Butyou’dknow，Jonathan，’continuedSpriggs，turningtotheotherfriendofSkulpit’s，whowassittingonastoolbythetable，gazingvacantlyatthepetition。JonathanCrumplewasameek，mildman，whohadknownbetterdays；hismeanshadbeenwastedbybadchildren，whohadmadehislifewretchedtillhehadbeenreceivedintothehospital，ofwhichhehadnotlongbeenamember。Sincethatdayhehadknownneithersorrownortrouble，andthisattempttofillhimwithnewhopeswas，indeed，acruelty。