FAREWELL
On the morning after Mr Harding's return home he received a note from
the bishop full of affection, condolence, and praise. "Pray come to
me at once," wrote the bishop, "that we may see what had better be
done; as to the hospital, I will not say a word to dissuade you; but I
don't like your going to Crabtree: at any rate, come to me at once."
Mr Harding did go to him at once; and long and confidential was the
consultation between the two old friends. There they sat together
the whole long day, plotting to get the better of the archdeacon, and
to carry out little schemes of their own, which they knew would be
opposed by the whole weight of his authority.
The bishop's first idea was, that Mr Harding, if left to himself,
would certainly starve,--not in the figurative sense in which so many
of our ladies and gentlemen do starve on incomes from one to five
hundred a year; not that he would be starved as regarded dress coats,
port wine, and pocket-money; but that he would positively perish of
inanition for want of bread.
"How is a man to live, when he gives up all his income?" said the
bishop to himself. And then the good-natured little man began to
consider how his friend might be best rescued from a death so horrid
and painful.
His first proposition to Mr Harding was, that they should live
together at the palace. He, the bishop, positively assured Mr Harding
that he wanted another resident chaplain,--not a young working
chaplain, but a steady, middle-aged chaplain; one who would dine and
drink a glass of wine with him, talk about the archdeacon, and poke
the fire. The bishop did not positively name all these duties, but
he gave Mr Harding to understand that such would be the nature of the
service required.
It was not without much difficulty that Mr Harding made his friend see
that this would not suit him; that he could not throw up the bishop's
preferment, and then come and hang on at the bishop's table; that he
could not allow people to say of him that it was an easy matter to
abandon his own income, as he was able to sponge on that of another
person. He succeeded, however, in explaining that the plan would not
do, and then the bishop brought forward another which he had in his
sleeve. He, the bishop, had in his will left certain moneys to Mr
Harding's two daughters, imagining that Mr Harding would himself want
no such assistance during his own lifetime. This legacy amounted to
three thousand pounds each, duty free; and he now pressed it as a gift
on his friend.
"The girls, you know," said he, "will have it just the same when
you're gone,--and they won't want it sooner;--and as for the interest
during my lifetime, it isn't worth talking about. I have more than
enough."
With much difficulty and heartfelt sorrow, Mr Harding refused also
this offer. No; his wish was to support himself, however poorly,--not
to be supported on the charity of anyone. It was hard to make the
bishop understand this; it was hard to make him comprehend that
the only real favour he could confer was the continuation of his
independent friendship; but at last even this was done. At any rate,
thought the bishop, he will come and dine with me from time to time,
and if he be absolutely starving I shall see it.
Touching the precentorship, the bishop was clearly of opinion that it
could be held without the other situation,--an opinion from which no
one differed; and it was therefore soon settled among all the parties
concerned, that Mr Harding should still be the precentor of the
cathedral.
On the day following Mr Harding's return, the archdeacon reached
Plumstead full of Mr Cummins's scheme regarding Puddingdale and Mr
Quiverful. On the very next morning he drove over to Puddingdale,
and obtained the full consent of the wretched clerical Priam, who was
endeavouring to feed his poor Hecuba and a dozen of Hectors on the
small proceeds of his ecclesiastical kingdom. Mr Quiverful had no
doubts as to the legal rights of the warden; his conscience would be
quite clear as to accepting the income; and as to _The Jupiter_, he
begged to assure the archdeacon that he was quite indifferent to any
emanations from the profane portion of the periodical press.
Having so far succeeded, he next sounded the bishop; but here he was
astonished by most unexpected resistance. The bishop did not think
it would do. "Not do, why not?" and seeing that his father was not
shaken, he repeated the question in a severer form: "Why not do, my
lord?"
His lordship looked very unhappy, and shuffled about in his chair,
but still didn't give way; he thought Puddingdale wouldn't do for Mr
Harding; it was too far from Barchester.
"Oh! of course he'll have a curate."
The bishop also thought that Mr Quiverful wouldn't do for the
hospital; such an exchange wouldn't look well at such a time; and,
when pressed harder, he declared he didn't think Mr Harding would
accept of Puddingdale under any circumstances.
"How is he to live?" demanded the archdeacon.
The bishop, with tears in his eyes, declared that he had not the
slightest conception how life was to be sustained within him at all.
The archdeacon then left his father, and went down to the hospital;
but Mr Harding wouldn't listen at all to the Puddingdale scheme. To
his eyes it had no attraction; it savoured of simony, and was likely
to bring down upon him harder and more deserved strictures than any he
had yet received: he positively declined to become vicar of
Puddingdale under any circumstances.
The archdeacon waxed wroth, talked big, and looked bigger; he said
something about dependence and beggary, spoke of the duty every man
was under to earn his bread, made passing allusions to the follies of
youth and waywardness of age, as though Mr Harding were afflicted by
both, and ended by declaring that he had done. He felt that he had
left no stone unturned to arrange matters on the best and easiest
footing; that he had, in fact, so arranged them, that he had so
managed that there was no further need of any anxiety in the matter.
And how had he been paid? His advice had been systematically
rejected; he had been not only slighted, but distrusted and avoided;
he and his measures had been utterly thrown over, as had been Sir
Abraham, who, he had reason to know, was much pained at what had
occurred. He now found it was useless to interfere any further, and
he should retire. If any further assistance were required from him,
he would probably be called on, and should be again happy to come
forward. And so he left the hospital, and has not since entered it
from that day to this.
And here we must take leave of Archdeacon Grantly. We fear that he is
represented in these pages as being worse than he is; but we have had
to do with his foibles, and not with his virtues. We have seen only
the weak side of the man, and have lacked the opportunity of bringing
him forward on his strong ground. That he is a man somewhat too fond
of his own way, and not sufficiently scrupulous in his manner of
achieving it, his best friends cannot deny. That he is bigoted in
favour, not so much of his doctrines as of his cloth, is also true:
and it is true that the possession of a large income is a desire that
sits near his heart. Nevertheless, the archdeacon is a gentleman and
a man of conscience; he spends his money liberally, and does the work
he has to do with the best of his ability; he improves the tone of
society of those among whom he lives. His aspirations are of a
healthy, if not of the highest, kind. Though never an austere man,
he upholds propriety of conduct both by example and precept. He
is generous to the poor, and hospitable to the rich; in matters of
religion he is sincere, and yet no Pharisee; he is in earnest, and yet
no fanatic. On the whole, the Archdeacon of Barchester is a man doing
more good than harm,--a man to be furthered and supported, though
perhaps also to be controlled; and it is matter of regret to us that
the course of our narrative has required that we should see more of
his weakness than his strength.
Mr Harding allowed himself no rest till everything was prepared for
his departure from the hospital. It may be as well to mention that he
was not driven to the stern necessity of selling all his furniture: he
had been quite in earnest in his intention to do so, but it was soon
made known to him that the claims of Messrs Cox and Cummins made no
such step obligatory. The archdeacon had thought it wise to make use
of the threat of the lawyer's bill, to frighten his father-in-law into
compliance; but he had no intention to saddle Mr Harding with costs,
which had been incurred by no means exclusively for his benefit.
The amount of the bill was added to the diocesan account, and was,
in fact, paid out of the bishop's pocket, without any consciousness
on the part of his lordship. A great part of his furniture he did
resolve to sell, having no other means to dispose of it; and the
ponies and carriage were transferred, by private contract, to the use
of an old maiden lady in the city.
For his present use Mr Harding took a lodging in Barchester, and
thither were conveyed such articles as he wanted for daily use:--his
music, books, and instruments, his own arm-chair, and Eleanor's pet
sofa; her teapoy and his cellaret, and also the slender but still
sufficient contents of his wine-cellar. Mrs Grantly had much wished
that her sister would reside at Plumstead, till her father's house
at Crabtree should be ready for her; but Eleanor herself strongly
resisted this proposal. It was in vain urged upon her, that a lady
in lodgings cost more than a gentleman; and that, under her father's
present circumstances, such an expense should be avoided. Eleanor had
not pressed her father to give up the hospital in order that she might
live at Plumstead Rectory and he alone in his Barchester lodgings;
nor did Eleanor think that she would be treating a certain gentleman
very fairly, if she betook herself to the house which he would be the
least desirous of entering of any in the county. So she got a little
bedroom for herself behind the sitting-room, and just over the little
back parlour of the chemist, with whom they were to lodge. There was
somewhat of a savour of senna softened by peppermint about the place;
but, on the whole, the lodgings were clean and comfortable.
The day had been fixed for the migration of the ex-warden, and all
Barchester were in a state of excitement on the subject. Opinion
was much divided as to the propriety of Mr Harding's conduct. The
mercantile part of the community, the mayor and corporation, and
council, also most of the ladies, were loud in his praise. Nothing
could be more noble, nothing more generous, nothing more upright.
But the gentry were of a different way of thinking,--especially the
lawyers and the clergymen. They said such conduct was very weak and
undignified; that Mr Harding evinced a lamentable want of _esprit de
corps_, as well as courage; and that such an abdication must do much
harm, and could do but little good.
On the evening before he left, he summoned all the bedesmen into his
parlour to wish them good-bye. With Bunce he had been in frequent
communication since his return from London, and had been at much
pains to explain to the old man the cause of his resignation, without
in any way prejudicing the position of his successor. The others,
also, he had seen more or less frequently; and had heard from most of
them separately some expression of regret at his departure; but he had
postponed his farewell till the last evening.
He now bade the maid put wine and glasses on the table; and had the
chairs arranged around the room; and sent Bunce to each of the men to
request they would come and say farewell to their late warden. Soon
the noise of aged scuffling feet was heard upon the gravel and in the
little hall, and the eleven men who were enabled to leave their rooms
were assembled.
"Come in, my friends, come in," said the warden;--he was still warden
then. "Come in, and sit down;" and he took the hand of Abel Handy,
who was the nearest to him, and led the limping grumbler to a chair.
The others followed slowly and bashfully; the infirm, the lame, and
the blind: poor wretches! who had been so happy, had they but known
it! Now their aged faces were covered with shame, and every kind word
from their master was a coal of fire burning on their heads.
When first the news had reached them that Mr Harding was going to
leave the hospital, it had been received with a kind of triumph;--his
departure was, as it were, a prelude to success. He had admitted his
want of right to the money about which they were disputing; and as it
did not belong to him, of course, it did to them. The one hundred a
year to each of them was actually becoming a reality; and Abel Handy
was a hero, and Bunce a faint-hearted sycophant, worthy neither honour
nor fellowship. But other tidings soon made their way into the old
men's rooms. It was first notified to them that the income abandoned
by Mr Harding would not come to them; and these accounts were
confirmed by attorney Finney. They were then informed that Mr
Harding's place would be at once filled by another. That the new
warden could not be a kinder man they all knew; that he would be a
less friendly one most suspected; and then came the bitter information
that, from the moment of Mr Harding's departure, the twopence a day,
his own peculiar gift, must of necessity be withdrawn.
And this was to be the end of all their mighty struggle,--of their
fight for their rights,--of their petition, and their debates, and
their hopes! They were to change the best of masters for a possible
bad one, and to lose twopence a day each man! No; unfortunate as this
was, it was not the worst, or nearly the worst, as will just now be
seen.
"Sit down, sit down, my friends," said the warden; "I want to say a
word to you and to drink your healths, before I leave you. Come up
here, Moody, here is a chair for you; come, Jonathan Crumple;"--and by
degrees he got the men to be seated. It was not surprising that they
should hang back with faint hearts, having returned so much kindness
with such deep ingratitude. Last of all of them came Bunce, and with
sorrowful mien and slow step got into his accustomed seat near the
fire-place.
When they were all in their places, Mr Harding rose to address them;
and then finding himself not quite at home on his legs, he sat down
again. "My dear old friends," said he, "you all know that I am going
to leave you."
There was a sort of murmur ran round the room, intended, perhaps, to
express regret at his departure; but it was but a murmur, and might
have meant that or anything else.
"There has been lately some misunderstanding between us. You have
thought, I believe, that you did not get all that you were entitled
to, and that the funds of the hospital have not been properly disposed
of. As for me, I cannot say what should be the disposition of these
moneys, or how they should be managed, and I have therefore thought it
best to go."
"We never wanted to drive your reverence out of it," said Handy.
"No, indeed, your reverence," said Skulpit. "We never thought it
would come to this. When I signed the petition,--that is, I didn't
sign it, because--"
"Let his reverence speak, can't you?" said Moody.
"No," continued Mr Harding; "I am sure you did not wish to turn me
out; but I thought it best to leave you. I am not a very good hand at
a lawsuit, as you may all guess; and when it seemed necessary that our
ordinary quiet mode of living should be disturbed, I thought it better
to go. I am neither angry nor offended with any man in the hospital."
Here Bunce uttered a kind of groan, very clearly expressive of
disagreement.
"I am neither angry nor displeased with any man in the hospital,"
repeated Mr Harding, emphatically. "If any man has been wrong,--and
I don't say any man has,--he has erred through wrong advice. In this
country all are entitled to look for their own rights, and you have
done no more. As long as your interests and my interests were at
variance, I could give you no counsel on this subject; but the
connection between us has ceased; my income can no longer depend on
your doings, and therefore, as I leave you, I venture to offer to you
my advice."
The men all declared that they would from henceforth be entirely
guided by Mr Harding's opinion in their affairs.
"Some gentleman will probably take my place here very soon, and I
strongly advise you to be prepared to receive him in a kindly spirit
and to raise no further question among yourselves as to the amount of
his income. Were you to succeed in lessening what he has to receive,
you would not increase your own allowance. The surplus would not go
to you; your wants are adequately provided for, and your position
could hardly be improved."
"God bless your reverence, we knows it," said Spriggs.
"It's all true, your reverence," said Skulpit. "We sees it all now."
"Yes, Mr Harding," said Bunce, opening his mouth for the first time;
"I believe they do understand it now, now that they've driven from
under the same roof with them such a master as not one of them will
ever know again,--now that they're like to be in sore want of a
friend."
"Come, come, Bunce," said Mr Harding, blowing his nose and manoeuvring
to wipe his eyes at the same time.
"Oh, as to that," said Handy, "we none of us never wanted to do Mr
Harding no harm; if he's going now, it's not along of us; and I don't
see for what Mr Bunce speaks up agen us that way."
"You've ruined yourselves, and you've ruined me too, and that's why,"
said Bunce.
"Nonsense, Bunce," said Mr Harding; "there's nobody ruined at all.
I hope you'll let me leave you all friends; I hope you'll all drink
a glass of wine in friendly feeling with me and with one another.
You'll have a good friend, I don't doubt, in your new warden; and if
ever you want any other, why after all I'm not going so far off but
that I shall sometimes see you;" and then, having finished his speech,
Mr Harding filled all the glasses, and himself handed each a glass to
the men round him, and raising his own said:--
"God bless you all! you have my heartfelt wishes for your welfare.
I hope you may live contented, and die trusting in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thankful to Almighty God for the good things he has given
you. God bless you, my friends!" and Mr Harding drank his wine.
Another murmur, somewhat more articulate than the first, passed round
the circle, and this time it was intended to imply a blessing on Mr
Harding. It had, however, but little cordiality in it. Poor old
men! how could they be cordial with their sore consciences and shamed
faces? how could they bid God bless him with hearty voices and a true
benison, knowing, as they did, that their vile cabal had driven him
from his happy home, and sent him in his old age to seek shelter under
a strange roof-tree? They did their best, however; they drank their
wine, and withdrew.
As they left the hall-door, Mr Harding shook hands with each of the
men, and spoke a kind word to them about their individual cases and
ailments; and so they departed, answering his questions in the fewest
words, and retreated to their dens, a sorrowful repentant crew.
All but Bunce, who still remained to make his own farewell. "There's
poor old Bell," said Mr Harding; "I mustn't go without saying a word
to him; come through with me, Bunce, and bring the wine with you;"
and so they went through to the men's cottages, and found the old man
propped up as usual in his bed.
"I've come to say good-bye to you, Bell," said Mr Harding, speaking
loud, for the old man was deaf.
"And are you going away, then, really?" asked Bell.
"Indeed I am, and I've brought you a glass of wine; so that we may
part friends, as we lived, you know."
The old man took the proffered glass in his shaking hands, and drank
it eagerly. "God bless you, Bell!" said Mr Harding; "good-bye, my old
friend."
"And so you're really going?" the man again asked.
"Indeed I am, Bell."
The poor old bed-ridden creature still kept Mr Harding's hand in his
own, and the warden thought that he had met with something like warmth
of feeling in the one of all his subjects from whom it was the least
likely to be expected; for poor old Bell had nearly outlived all human
feelings. "And your reverence," said he, and then he paused, while
his old palsied head shook horribly, and his shrivelled cheeks sank
lower within his jaws, and his glazy eye gleamed with a momentary
light; "and your reverence, shall we get the hundred a year, then?"
How gently did Mr Harding try to extinguish the false hope of money
which had been so wretchedly raised to disturb the quiet of the dying
man! One other week and his mortal coil would be shuffled off; in
one short week would God resume his soul, and set it apart for its
irrevocable doom; seven more tedious days and nights of senseless
inactivity, and all would be over for poor Bell in this world; and
yet, with his last audible words, he was demanding his moneyed rights,
and asserting himself to be the proper heir of John Hiram's bounty!
Not on him, poor sinner as he was, be the load of such sin!
Mr Harding returned to his parlour, meditating with a sick heart
on what he had seen, and Bunce with him. We will not describe the
parting of these two good men, for good men they were. It was in
vain that the late warden endeavoured to comfort the heart of the old
bedesman; poor old Bunce felt that his days of comfort were gone. The
hospital had to him been a happy home, but it could be so no longer.
He had had honour there, and friendship; he had recognised his master,
and been recognised; all his wants, both of soul and body, had been
supplied, and he had been a happy man. He wept grievously as he
parted from his friend, and the tears of an old man are bitter.
"It is all over for me in this world," said he, as he gave the last
squeeze to Mr Harding's hand; "I have now to forgive those who have
injured me;--and to die."
And so the old man went out, and then Mr Harding gave way to his grief
and he too wept aloud.