第297章

Henry Grantly had written the following short letter to Mrs Grantly when he had made up his mind to pull down the auctioneer's bills. 'DEARMOTHER--I have postponed the sale, not liking to refuse you anything. As far as I can see, I shall be forced to leave Cosby Lodge, as I certainly shall do all I can to make Grace Crawley my wife. I say this that there may be no misunderstanding with my father. The auctioneer has promised to have the bills removed.--Your affectionate son, HENRY GRANTLY' This had been written by the major on the Friday before Mr Walker had brought up to him the tidings of Mr Toogood and Mrs Arabin's solution of the Crawley difficulty; but it did not reach Plumstead till the following morning. Mrs Grantly immediately took the glad news about the sale to her husband--not of course showing him the letter, being far too wise for that, and giving him credit for being too wise to ask for it.

'Henry has arranged with the auctioneer,' she said joyfully; 'and the bills have been all pulled down.'

'How do you know?'

'I've just heard from him. He has told me so. Come, my dear, let me have the pleasure of hearing you say that things shall be pleasant again between you and him. He has yielded.'

'I don't see much yielding in it.'

'He has done what you wanted. What more can he do?'

'I want him to come over here, and take an interest in things, and not treat me as though I were a nobody.' Within an hour of this the major had arrived at Plumstead, laden with the story of Mrs Arabin and the cheque, and of Mr Crawley's innocence--laden not only with such tidings as he had received from Mr Walker, but also with further details, which had received from Mr Toogood. For he had come through Barchester, and had seen Mr Toogood on his way. This was on the Saturday morning, and he had breakfasted with Mr Toogood at 'The Dragon of Wantly'. Mr Toogood had told him of his suspicions--how the red-nosed man had been stopped and had been summoned as a witness for Mr Crawley's trial--and how he was now under surveillance of the police. Grantly had not cared very much about the red-nosed man, confining his present solicitude to the question whether Grace Crawley's father would certainly be shown to have been innocent of the theft. 'There's not a doubt about it, major,' said Mr Toogood; 'no a doubt on earth. But we'd better be a little quiet till your aunt comes home--just a little quiet.' In spite of his desire for quiescence Mr Toogood consented to a revelation being at once made to the archdeacon and Mrs Grantly. 'And I'll tell you what, major; as soon as ever Mrs Arabin is here, and has given us her own word to act on, you and I will go over to Hogglestock and astonish them. I should like to go myself, because, you see, Mrs Crawley is my cousin, and we have taken a little trouble about this matter.' To this the major assented; but he altogether declined to assist in Mr Toogood's speculations respecting the unfortunate Dan Stringer. It was agreed between them that for the present no visit should be made to the palace, as it was thought that Mr Thumble had better be allowed to go to Hogglestock duties on the next Sunday. As matters went, however, Mr Thumble did not do so. He had paid his last visit to Hogglestock.

It may be as well to explain here that the unfortunate Mr Snapper was constrained to go out to Hogglestock on the Sunday which was now approaching--which fell out as follows. It might be all very well for Mr Toogood to arrange that he would not tell this person or that person of the news which he had brought down from London; but as he had told the police at Barchester, of course the tale found its way to the palace. Mr Thumble heard it, and having come by this time thoroughly to hate Hogglestock and all that belonged to it, he pleaded to Mr Snapper that this report offered ample reason why he need not again visit that detested parish. Mr Snapper did not see it in the same light. 'You may be sure Mr Crawley will not get into the pulpit after his resignation, Mr Thumble.'

'His resignation means nothing,' said Thumble.

'It means a great deal,' said Snapper; 'and the duties must be provided for.'

'I won't provide for them,' said Thumble; 'and so you may tell the bishop.' In these days Mr Thumble was very angry with the bishop, for the bishop had not yet seen him since the death of Mrs Proudie.

Mr Snapper had no alternative but to go to the bishop. The bishop in these days was very mild to those whom he saw, given but to few words, and a little astray--as though he had had one of his limbs cut off--as Mr Snapper expressed it to Mrs Snapper. 'I shouldn't wonder if he felt as though all his limbs were cut off,' said Mrs Snapper; 'you must give him time, and he'll come round by-and-by.' I am inclined to think that Mrs Snapper's opinion of the bishop's feelings and condition was correct. In his difficulty respecting Hogglestock and Mr Thumble, Mr Snapper went to the bishop, and spoke perhaps a little too harshly of Mr Thumble.

'I think, upon the whole, Snapper, that you had better go yourself,' said the bishop.

'Do you think so, my lord?' said Snapper. 'It will be inconvenient.'

'Everything is inconvenient; but you'd better go. And look here, Snapper, if I were you, I wouldn't say anything out at Hogglestock about the cheque. We don't know what it may come to yet.' Mr Snapper, with a heavy heart, left his patron, not at all liking the task that was before him. But his wife encouraged him to be obedient. He was the owner of a one-horse carriage, and the work was not, therefore, so hard to him as it would have been and had been to poor Mr Thumble. And, moreover, his wife promised to go with him. Mr Snapper and Mrs Snapper did go over to Hogglestock, and the duty was done. Mrs Snapper spoke a word or two to Mrs Crawley, and Mr Snapper spoke a word or two to Mr Crawley; but not a word was said about the news as to Mr Soames's cheque, which was now almost current in Barchester. Indeed, no whisper about it had as yet reached Hogglestock.