第38章

ConclusionOurtaleisnowdone，anditonlyremainstoustocollectthescatteredthreadsofourlittlestory，andtotiethemintoaseemlyknot。Thiswillnotbeaworkoflabour，eithertotheauthorortohisreaders；wehavenottodealwithmanypersonages，orwithstirringevents，andwereitnotforthecustomofthething，wemightleaveittotheimaginationofallconcernedtoconceivehowaffairsatBarchesterarrangedthemselves。 Onthemorningafterthedaylastalludedto，MrHarding，atanearlyhour，walkedoutofthehospital，withhisdaughterunderhisarm，andsatdownquietlytobreakfastathislodgingsoverthechemist’sshop。Therewasnoparadeabouthisdeparture；noone，notevenBunce，wastheretowitnessit； hadhewalkedtotheapothecary’sthusearlytogetapieceofcourtplaster，oraboxoflozenges，hecouldnothavedoneitwithlessappearanceofanimportantmovement。TherewasatearinEleanor’seyeasshepassedthroughthebiggatewayandoverthebridge；butMrHardingwalkedwithanelasticstep，andenteredhisnewabodewithapleasantface。 ’Now，mydear，’saidhe，’youhaveeverythingready，andyoucanmaketeaherejustasnicelyasintheparlouratthehospital。’SoEleanortookoffherbonnetandmadethetea。 AfterthismannerdidthelateWardenofBarchesterHospitalaccomplishhisflitting，andchangehisresidence。 Itwasnotlongbeforethearchdeaconbroughthisfathertodiscussthesubjectofanewwarden。Ofcoursehelookeduponthenominationashisown，andhehadinhiseyethreeorfourfittingcandidates，seeingthatMrCummins’splanastothelivingofPuddingdalecouldnotbebroughttobear。 HowcanIdescribetheastonishmentwhichconfoundedhim，whenhisfatherdeclaredthathewouldappointnosuccessortoMrHarding？’Ifwecangetthemattersettorights，MrHardingwillreturn，’saidthebishop；’andifwecannot，itwillbewrongtoputanyothergentlemanintosocruelaposition。’ Itwasinvainthatthearchdeaconarguedandlectured，andeventhreatened；invainhemy-lordedhispoorfatherinhissternestmanner；invainhis’goodheavens！’wereejaculatedinatonethatmighthavemovedawholesynod，letaloneoneweakandagedbishop。NothingcouldinducehisfathertofillupthevacancycausedbyMrHarding’sretirement。 EvenJohnBoldwouldhavepitiedthefeelingswithwhichthearchdeaconreturnedtoPlumstead:thechurchwasfalling，nay，alreadyinruins；itsdignitarieswereyieldingwithoutastrugglebeforetheblowsofitsantagonists；andoneofitsmostrespectedbishops，hisownfather——themanconsideredbyalltheworldasbeinginsuchmattersunderhis，DrGrantly’s，control——hadpositivelyresolvedtocapitulate，andownhimselfvanquished！ Andhowfaredthehospitalunderthisresolveofitsvisitor？ Badlyindeed。ItisnowsomeyearssinceMrHardingleftit，andthewarden’shouseisstilltenantless。OldBellhasdied，andBillyGazy；theone-eyedSpriggshasdrunkhimselftodeath，andthreeothersofthetwelvehavebeengatheredintothechurchyardmould。Sixhavegone，andthesixvacanciesremainunfilled！Yes，sixhavedied，withnokindfriendtosolacetheirlastmoments，withnowealthyneighbourtoadministercomfortsandeasethestingsofdeath。MrHarding，indeed，didnotdesertthem；fromhimtheyhadsuchconsolationasadyingmanmayreceivefromhisChristianpastor；butitwastheoccasionalkindnessofastrangerwhichministeredtothem，andnottheconstantpresenceofamaster，aneighbour，andafriend。 Norwerethosewhoremainedbetteroffthanthosewhodied。Dissensionsroseamongthem，andcontestsforpre- eminence；andthentheybegantounderstandthatsoononeamongthemwouldbethelast——someonewretchedbeingwouldbealonethereinthatnowcomfortlesshospital——themiserablerelicofwhathadoncebeensogoodandsocomfortable。 Thebuildingofthehospitalitselfhasnotbeenallowedtogotoruins。MrChadwick，whostillholdshisstewardship，andpaystheaccruingrentsintoanaccountopenedatabankforthepurpose，seestothat；butthewholeplacehasbecomedisorderedandugly。Thewarden’sgardenisawretchedwilderness，thedriveandpathsarecoveredwithweeds，theflower-bedsarebare，andtheunshornlawnisnowamassoflongdampgrassandunwholesomemoss。Thebeautyoftheplaceisgone；itsattractionshavewithered。Alas！averyfewyearssinceitwastheprettiestspotinBarchester，andnowitisadisgracetothecity。 MrHardingdidnotgoouttoCrabtreeParva。AnarrangementwasmadewhichrespectedthehomesteadofMrSmithandhishappyfamily，andputMrHardingintopossessionofasmalllivingwithinthewallsofthecity。Itisthesmallestpossibleparish，containingapartoftheCathedralCloseandafewoldhousesadjoining。ThechurchisasingularlittleGothicbuilding，perchedoveragateway，throughwhichtheCloseisentered，andisapproachedbyaflightofstonestepswhichleadsdownunderthearchwayofthegate。Itisnobiggerthananordinaryroom——perhapstwenty-sevenfeetlongbyeighteenwide——butstillitisaperfectchurch。Itcontainsanoldcarvedpulpitandreading-desk，atinyaltarunderawindowfilledwithdarkold-colouredglass，afont，somehalf-dozenpews，andperhapsadozenseatsforthepoor；andalsoavestry。 Theroofishighpitched，andofblackoldoak，andthethreelargebeamswhichsupportitrundowntothesidewalls，andterminateingrotesquelycarvedfaces——twodevilsandanangelononeside，twoangelsandadevilontheother。SuchisthechurchofStCuthbertatBarchester，ofwhichMrHardingbecamerector，withaclearincomeofseventy-fivepoundsayear。 HereheperformsafternoonserviceeverySunday，andadministerstheSacramentonceineverythreemonths。Hisaudienceisnotlarge；and，hadtheybeenso，hecouldnothaveaccommodatedthem: butenoughcometofillhissixpews，andonthefrontseatofthosedevotedtothepoorisalwaystobeseenouroldfriendMrBunce，decentlyarrayedinhisbedesman’sgown。 MrHardingisstillprecentorofBarchester；anditisveryrarelythecasethatthosewhoattendtheSundaymorningservicemissthegratificationofhearinghimchanttheLitany，asnoothermaninEnglandcandoit。Heisneitheradiscontentednoranunhappyman；hestillinhabitsthelodgingstowhichhewentonleavingthehospital，buthenowhasthemtohimself。 ThreemonthsafterthattimeEleanorbecameMrsBold，andofcourseremovedtoherhusband’shouse。 Thereweresomedifficultiestobegotoverontheoccasionofthemarriage。Thearchdeacon，whocouldnotsosoonovercomehisgrief，wouldnotbepersuadedtogracetheceremonywithhispresence，butheallowedhiswifeandchildrentobethere。Themarriagetookplaceinthecathedral，andthebishophimselfofficiated。Itwasthelastoccasiononwhichheeverdidso；and，thoughhestilllives，itisnotprobablethathewilleverdosoagain。 Notlongafterthemarriage，perhapssixmonths，whenEleanor’sbridal-honourswerefading，andpersonswerebeginningtocallherMrsBoldwithouttwittering，thearchdeaconconsentedtomeetJohnBoldatadinner-party，andsincethattimetheyhavebecomealmostfriends。Thearchdeaconfirmlybelievesthathisbrother-in-lawwas，asabachelor，aninfidel，anunbelieverinthegreattruthsofourreligion；butthatmatrimonyhasopenedhiseyes，asithasthoseofothers。 AndBoldisequallyinclinedtothinkthattimehassoftenedtheasperitiesofthearchdeacon’scharacter。Friendsthoughtheyare，theydonotoftenreverttothefeudofthehospital。 MrHarding，wesay，isnotanunhappyman:hekeepshislodgings，buttheyareoflittleusetohim，exceptasbeingtheonespotonearthwhichhecallshisown。Histimeisspentchieflyathisdaughter’soratthepalace；heisneverleftalone，evenshouldhewishtobeso；andwithinatwelvemonthofEleanor’smarriagehisdeterminationtoliveathisownlodginghadbeensofarbrokenthroughandabandoned，thatheconsentedtohavehisvioloncellopermanentlyremovedtohisdaughter’shouse。 Everyotherdayamessageisbroughttohimfromthebishop。 ’Thebishop’scompliments，andhislordshipisnotverywellto-day，andhehopesMrHardingwilldinewithhim。’Thisbulletinastotheoldman’shealthisamyth；forthoughheisovereightyheisneverill，andwillprobablydiesomeday，asasparkgoesout，graduallyandwithoutastruggle。MrHardingdoesdinewithhimveryoften，whichmeansgoingtothepalaceatthreeandremainingtillten；andwheneverhedoesnotthebishopwhines，andsaysthattheportwineiscorked，andcomplainsthatnobodyattendstohim，andfretshimselfofftobedanhourbeforehistime。 ItwaslongbeforethepeopleofBarchesterforgottocallMrHardingbyhislongwell-knownnameofWarden。IthadbecomesocustomarytosayMrWarden，thatitwasnoteasilydropped。’No，no，’healwayssayswhensoaddressed，’notwardennow，onlyprecentor。’ End