ve in the evening, and that he might therefore probably find Mr Harding alone. It was between seven and eight when he reached the slight iron gate leading into

ch music, which had cost so many guineas; and around sat, and lay, and stood, and leaned, ten of the twelve old men who dwelt with him beneath old John Hiram's roof. The two reformers were not there. I will not say that in their hearts they were conscious of any wrong done or to be done to their mild warden, but latterly they had kept aloof from him, and his music was no longer to their taste. It was amusing to see the positions, and eager listening faces of these well-to-do old men. I will not say that they

whose large frame many years, for he was over eighty, had made small havoc - he was still an upright, burly, handsome figure, with an open, ponderous brow, round which clung a few, though very few, thin gray locks. The coarse b

signated by his inferior brethren, had no greater emoluments than they, he had assumed, and well knew how to maintain, the dignity of his elevation. The precentor delighted to call him his sub-warden, and was not ashamed, occasio

as drunk, and the half hour over, Bunce stood erect, and with a benediction which his patron valued, retired to his own ab

rsonally, that arose from there not being room in the hospital for two people so much alike as the doctor and himself, rather than from any dissimilarity in feeling. Mr Bunce was inclined to think that the warden and himself could manage the hospital wit

mind, and he was looking at his warden, as though he th

to draw his bow slowly across the plaintive wires; but he soon found from his audience that som

me disturb you,' said Bold; 'you

ou art but a flatterer. 'Well, I'll just finish it then; it's a favourite little bit of Bishop's; and then, Mr Bold, we'll have a stroll and a chat till Eleanor comes in and gives us tea.' And so Bold sa

somewhat difficult task, and he almost regretted the final leave-taking o

recentor made some ordinary but kind re

formality in the morning; real social talk never begins till after d

order of things, and I owe you much apology for troubling you on busin

e young man's voice which told him that the interview was intended to be d

you about the hospit

g I can tell you I s

out the

I know is, that they pay me #800 a year. Go to Chadwick, he knows all about the a

Mr Harding, I hope you won't object to discuss

any such subject with John Bold; but he had not the business tact of Mr Chadwick, and did

, Mr Harding,' continued Bold; 'the

ewhat impatiently; 'I'm much obliged, but never mind that; I'm

feel, lest you should think there is p

ou're not going to cut my throat, nor

e before he recommenced his attack, during which Mr Harding, who had still the bow in his hand, played rapidly on an imaginary violoncello. 'I fear there

on earth; and now we need no

hink it my duty to apply to them for some statement about the hospital. In what I do

tled to the income I receive from the hospital, and that others are entitled to it. Whatever some may do, I shall never attribute to you base motives because you hold an opinion opposed to my own and adverse to my interests: pray do what you consider to be

had passed, and therefore excused himself with much awkward apology; and merely raising his hat and

rong grounds, and almost made him think that he was about to interfere without due warrant in the private affai

ould receive considerably more out of the legacy than all the twelve old men together for whose behoof the hospital was built? Could it be possible that John Bold was right, and that the reverend warden of the hospital had been for the last ten years and more the unjust recipient of an income legally and equitably belonging to others? What if it should be proved before the

was not right, but her ideas as to the cause of the evening's discomfort did not go beyond her lover, and his sudden and uncivil departure. She thought ther

o the English church - knew that the wardenship of the Barchester Hospital was a snug sinecure, but no one had ever been blamed for accepting it. To how much blame, however, would he have been open had he rejected it! How mad would he have been thought had he declared, when the situation was vacant and offered to him, that he had scruples as to receiving #800 a year from John Hiram's property, and that he had rather some stranger should possess it! How would Dr Grantly have shaken h

nd his friends? At the idea of his friends, his mind turned unhappily to his son-in-law. He knew well how strongly he would be supported by Dr Grantly, if he could bring himself to put his case into the archdeacon's hands and to allow him to fight the battle; but he knew also that he would find no sympathy there for his doubts, no fri

s son; he was a bland and a kind old man, opposed by every feeling to authoritative demonstrations and episcopal ostentation. It was perhaps well for him, in his situation, that his son had early in life been able to do that which he could not well do when he was younger, and which he could not have done

er only a minor canon they were even then much together; but since their children had married, and Mr Harding had become warden and precentor, they were all in all to each other. I will not say that they manag

s his doubts to his old friend; and to him he went

present to a sinecure of #800 a year, as he had heard from time to time of some special immorality or disgraceful disturbance in the usually decent and quiet city of Barcheste

medicine in his whole pharmacopoeia strong enough to touch so grave a disorder - he prescribed the archdeacon. 'Refer him to the archdeacon,' he repeated, as Mr Harding spoke of Bold and his visit. 'The archdeacon will set you quite right ab

he, 'did you ever re

, but could not state positively: however, he very well knew that he had the absolute right

s by the lapse of years; that a kind of ecclesiastical statute of limitation barred the rights of the twelve bedesmen to any increase of income arising from the increased value of property. He said something about tradition; more of the many learned men who by their practice had c

e bishop said had a sort of comfort in it, but it was not a sustaining comfort. It made Mr Harding feel that many oth

if I did not tell you that I am very unhappy about this. Suppose that I cannot bring myself to agree wit

gument to adduce; he could not fight for the cause as his son would do; he could not prove all the precentor's doubts to be groundless; but he could sympathise with his friend, and he did so; and Mr Harding felt that he had received

ve, as well as his own troubles; to talk of John Bold in his double capacity of future son-in-law

y of so firm a pillar as Mr Harding, but one so much injured as the warden of the hospital. 'Indeed, I like Mr Bold much, personally,' continued the disinterested victim; 'and to tell you the "truth"'- he hesitated as he brought out the dreadful tidings -'I have sometimes thought it not improb

ould shut up all cathedrals, and probably all parish churches; distribute all tithes among Methodists, Baptists, and other savage tribes; utterly annihilate the sacred bench, and make shovel hats and lawn sleeves as

f of his friend and patron. 'I do not say that there is any engagement between them. Had there been, Eleanor would have told me; I know her well enough to be ass

shop, 'how are you to oppose h

oses me; if anything is to be done in defence

man twice his brother-in-law, the archdeacon will nev

ed from him a promise that Eleanor's name should not be mentioned in any discussion between the father bishop and son archdeacon r