The meeting between Eleanor and her father was not so stormy as that
described in the last chapter, but it was hardly more successful. On
her return from Bold's house she found her father in a strange state.
He was not sorrowful and silent as he had been on that memorable
day when his son-in-law lectured him as to all that he owed to his
order; nor was he in his usual quiet mood. When Eleanor reached the
hospital, he was walking to and fro upon the lawn, and she soon saw
that he was much excited.
"I am going to London, my dear," he said as soon as he saw her.
"London, papa!"
"Yes, my dear, to London; I will have this matter settled some way;
there are some things, Eleanor, which I cannot bear."
"Oh, papa, what is it?" said she, leading him by the arm into the
house. "I had such good news for you, and now you make me fear I am
too late." And then, before he could let her know what had caused
this sudden resolve, or could point to the fatal paper which lay on
the table, she told him that the lawsuit was over, that Bold had
commissioned her to assure her father in his name that it would be
abandoned,--that there was no further cause for misery, that the whole
matter might be looked on as though it had never been discussed. She
did not tell him with what determined vehemence she had obtained this
concession in his favour, nor did she mention the price she was to pay
for it.
The warden did not express himself peculiarly gratified at this
intelligence, and Eleanor, though she had not worked for thanks, and
was by no means disposed to magnify her own good offices, felt hurt
at the manner in which her news was received. "Mr Bold can act as
he thinks proper, my love," said he; "if Mr Bold thinks he has been
wrong, of course he will discontinue what he is doing; but that cannot
change my purpose."
"Oh, papa!" she exclaimed, all but crying with vexation; "I thought
you would have been so happy;--I thought all would have been right
now."
"Mr Bold," continued he, "has set great people to work,--so great that
I doubt they are now beyond his control. Read that, my dear." The
warden, doubling up a number of _The Jupiter_, pointed to the peculiar
article which she was to read. It was to the last of the three
leaders, which are generally furnished daily for the support of the
nation, that Mr Harding directed her attention. It dealt some heavy
blows on various clerical delinquents; on families who received their
tens of thousands yearly for doing nothing; on men who, as the article
stated, rolled in wealth which they had neither earned nor inherited,
and which was in fact stolen from the poorer clergy. It named some
sons of bishops, and grandsons of archbishops; men great in their way,
who had redeemed their disgrace in the eyes of many by the enormity of
their plunder; and then, having disposed of these leviathans, it
descended to Mr Harding.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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