Howmuchsweetsolace，howmuchvaluedcounselhasourarchdeaconreceivedwithinthatsaintedenclosure！’Tistherealonethatheunbends，andcomesdownfromhishighchurchpedestaltothelevelofamortalman。IntheworldDrGrantlyneverlaysasidethatdemeanourwhichsowellbecomeshim。
　　Hehasallthedignityofanancientsaintwiththesleeknessofamodernbishop；heisalwaysthesame；heisalwaysthearchdeacon；unlikeHomer，henevernods。Evenwithhisfather-in-law，evenwiththebishopanddean，hemaintainsthatsonoroustoneandloftydeportmentwhichstrikesaweintotheyoungheartsofBarchester，andabsolutelycowsthewholeparishofPlumsteadEpiscopi。’Tisonlywhenhehasexchangedthatever-newshovelhatforatassellednightcap，andthoseshiningblackhabilimentsforhisaccustomedrobedenuit，thatDrGrantlytalks，andlooks，andthinkslikeanordinaryman。
　　Manyofushaveoftenthoughthowsevereatrialoffaithmustthisbetothewivesofourgreatchurchdignitaries。TousthesemenarepersonificationsofStPaul；theirverygaitisaspeakingsermon；theircleanandsombreapparelexactsfromusfaithandsubmission，andthecardinalvirtuesseemtohoverroundtheirsacredhats。Adeanorarchbishop，inthegarbofhisorder，issureofourreverence，andawell-got-upbishopfillsourverysoulswithawe。Buthowcanthisfeelingbeperpetuatedinthebosomsofthosewhoseethebishopswithouttheiraprons，andthearchdeaconseveninalowerstateofdishabille？
　　Dowenotallknowsomereverend，allbutsacred，personagebeforewhomourtongueceasestobeloudandoursteptobeelastic？Butwereweoncetoseehimstretchhimselfbeneaththebed-clothes，yawnwidely，andburyhisfaceuponhispillow，wecouldchatterbeforehimasgliblyasbeforeadoctororalawyer。Fromsomesuchcause，doubtless，itarosethatourarchdeaconlistenedtothecounselsofhiswife，thoughheconsideredhimselfentitledtogivecounseltoeveryotherbeingwhomhemet。
　　’Mydear，’hesaid，asheadjustedthecopiousfoldsofhisnightcap，’therewasthatJohnBoldatyourfather’sagaintoday。Imustsayyourfatherisveryimprudent。’
　　’Heisimprudent——healwayswas，’repliedMrsGrantly，speakingfromunderthecomfortablebed-clothes。’There’snothingnewinthat。’
　　’No，mydear，there’snothingnew——Iknowthat；but，atthepresentjunctureofaffairs，suchimprudenceis——is——I’lltellyouwhat，mydear，ifhedoesnottakecarewhathe’sabout，JohnBoldwillbeoffwithEleanor。’
　　’Ithinkhewill，whetherpapatakescareorno；andwhynot？’
　　’Whynot！’almostscreamedthearchdeacon，givingsoroughapullathisnightcapasalmosttobringitoverhisnose；
　　’whynot！-thatpestilent，interferingupstart，JohnBold——themostvulgaryoungpersonIevermet！Doyouknowthatheismeddlingwithyourfather’saffairsinamostuncalled-for——
　　most——’Andbeingatalossforanepithetsufficientlyinjurious，hefinishedhisexpressionsofhorrorbymuttering，’Goodheavens！’inamannerthathadbeenfoundveryefficaciousinclericalmeetingsofthediocese。Hemustforthemomenthaveforgottenwherehewas。
　　’Astohisvulgarity，archdeacon’MrsGrantlyhadneverassumedamorefamiliartermthanthisinaddressingherhusband，’Idon’tagreewithyou。NotthatIlikeMrBold——heisagreatdealtooconceitedforme；butthenEleanordoes，anditwouldbethebestthingintheworldforpapaiftheyweretomarry。BoldwouldnevertroublehimselfaboutHiram’sHospitalifhewerepapa’sson-in-law。’Andtheladyturnedherselfroundunderthebed-clothes，inamannertowhichthedoctorwaswellaccustomed，andwhichtoldhim，asplainlyaswords，thatasfarasshewasconcernedthesubjectwasoverforthatnight。
　　’Goodheavens！’murmuredthedoctoragain——hewasevidentlymuchputbesidehimself。
　　DrGrantlyisbynomeansabadman；heisexactlythemanwhichsuchaneducationashiswasmostlikelytoform；
　　hisintellectbeingsufficientforsuchaplaceintheworld，butnotsufficienttoputhiminadvanceofit。Heperformswitharigidconstancysuchofthedutiesofaparishclergymanasare，tohisthinking，abovethesphereofhiscurate，butitisasanarchdeaconthatheshines。
　　Webelieve，asageneralrule，thateitherabishoporhisarchdeaconshavesinecures:whereabishopworks，archdeaconshavebutlittletodo，andviceversa。InthedioceseofBarchestertheArchdeaconofBarchesterdoesthework。Inthatcapacityheisdiligent，authoritative，and，ashisfriendsparticularlyboast，judicious。Hisgreatfaultisanoverbearingassuranceofthevirtuesandclaimsofhisorder，andhisgreatfoibleisanequallystrongconfidenceinthedignityofhisownmannerandtheeloquenceofhisownwords。Heisamoralman，believingthepreceptswhichheteaches，andbelievingalsothatheactsuptothem；thoughwecannotsaythathewouldgivehiscoattothemanwhotookhiscloak，orthatheispreparedtoforgivehisbrotherevenseventimes。Heissevereenoughinexactinghisdues，consideringthatanylaxityinthisrespectwouldendangerthesecurityofthechurch；and，couldhehavehisway，hewouldconsigntodarknessandperdition，notonlyeveryindividualreformer，buteverycommitteeandeverycommissionthatwouldevendaretoaskaquestionrespectingtheappropriationofchurchrevenues。
　　’Theyarechurchrevenues:thelaityadmitit。Surelythechurchisabletoadministerherownrevenues。’’Twasthushewasaccustomedtoargue，whenthesacrilegiousdoingsofLordJohnRussellandotherswerediscussedeitheratBarchesteroratOxford。
　　ItwasnowonderthatDrGrantlydidnotlikeJohnBold，andthathiswife’ssuggestionthatheshouldbecomecloselyconnectedwithsuchamandismayedhim。Togivehimhisdue，thearchdeaconneverwantedcourage；hewasquitewillingtomeethisenemyonanyfieldandwithanyweapon。
　　Hehadthatbeliefinhisownargumentsthathefeltsureofsuccess，couldheonlybesureofafairfightonthepartofhisadversary。HehadnoideathatJohnBoldcouldreallyprovethattheincomeofthehospitalwasmalappropriated；why，then，shouldpeacebesoughtforonsuchbaseterms？What！
　　bribeanunbelievingenemyofthechurchwiththesister-in-lawofonedignitaryandthedaughterofanother——withayoungladywhoseconnectionswiththedioceseandchapterofBarchesterweresocloseastogiveheranundeniableclaimtoahusbandendowedwithsomeofitssacredwealth！WhenDrGrantlytalksofunbelievingenemies，hedoesnotmeantoimplywantofbeliefinthedoctrinesofthechurch，butanequallydangerousscepticismastoitspurityinmoneymatters。
　　MrsGrantlyisnotusuallydeaftotheclaimsofthehighordertowhichshebelongs。Sheandherhusbandrarelydisagreeastothetonewithwhichthechurchshouldbedefended；
　　howsingular，then，thatinsuchacaseasthissheshouldbewillingtosuccumb！Thearchdeaconagainmurmurs’Goodheavens！’ashelayshimselfbesideher，buthedoessoinavoiceaudibleonlytohimself，andherepeatsittillsleeprelieveshimfromdeepthought。
　　MrHardinghimselfhasseennoreasonwhyhisdaughtershouldnotloveJohnBold。Hehasnotbeenunobservantofherfeelings，andperhapshisdeepestregretatthepartwhichhefearsBoldisabouttotakeregardingthehospitalarisesfromthedreadthathemaybeseparatedfromhisdaughter，orthatshemaybeseparatedfromthemansheloves。HehasneverspokentoEleanoraboutherlover；heisthelastmanintheworldtoalludetosuchasubjectunconsulted，evenwithhisowndaughter；andhadheconsideredthathehadgroundtodisapproveofBold，hewouldhaveremovedher，orforbiddenhimhishouse；buthesawnosuchground。Hewouldprobablyhavepreferredasecondclericalson-in-law，forMrHarding，also，isattachedtohisorder；and，failinginthat，hewouldatanyratehavewishedthatsonearaconnectionshouldhavethoughtalikewithhimonchurchmatters。Hewouldnot，however，rejectthemanhisdaughterlovedbecausehedifferedonsuchsubjectswithhimself。
　　HithertoBoldhadtakennostepsinthematterinanywayannoyingtoMrHardingpersonally。Somemonthssince，afteraseverebattle，whichcosthimnotalittlemoney，hegainedavictoryoveracertainoldturnpikewomanintheneighbourhood，ofwhosechargesanotheroldwomanhadcomplainedtohim。HegottheActofParliamentrelatingtothetrust，foundthathisprotegeehadbeenwronglytaxed，rodethroughthegatehimself，payingthetoll，thenbroughtanactionagainstthegate-keeper，andprovedthatallpeoplecomingupacertainby-lane，andgoingdownacertainotherby-lane，weretoll-free。Thefameofhissuccessspreadwidelyabroad，andhebegantobelookedonastheupholderoftherightsofthepoorofBarchester。Notlongafterthissuccess，heheardfromdifferentquartersthatHiram’sbedesmenweretreatedaspaupers，whereasthepropertytowhichtheywere，ineffect，heirswasverylarge；andhewasinstigatedbythelawyerwhomhehademployedinthecaseoftheturnpiketocalluponMrChadwickforastatementastothefundsoftheestate。
　　Boldhadoftenexpressedhisindignationatthemalappropriationofchurchfundsingeneral，inthehearingofhisfriendtheprecentor；buttheconversationhadneverreferredtoanythingatBarchester；andwhenFinney，theattorney，inducedhimtointerferewiththeaffairsofthehospital，itwasagainstMrChadwickthathiseffortsweretobedirected。
　　BoldsoonfoundthatifheinterferedwithMrChadwickassteward，hemustalsointerferewithMrHardingaswarden；
　　andthoughheregrettedthesituationinwhichthiswouldplacehim，hewasnotthemantoflinchfromhisundertakingfrompersonalmotives。
　　Assoonashehaddeterminedtotakethematterinhand，hesetabouthisworkwithhisusualenergy。HegotacopyofJohnHiram’swill，ofthewordingofwhichhemadehimselfperfectlymaster。Heascertainedtheextentoftheproperty，andasnearlyashecouldthevalueofit；andmadeoutascheduleofwhathewasinformedwasthepresentdistributionofitsincome。Armedwiththeseparticulars，hecalledonMrChadwick，havinggiventhatgentlemannoticeofhisvisit；
　　andaskedhimforastatementoftheincomeandexpenditureofthehospitalforthelasttwenty-fiveyears。
　　Thiswasofcourserefused，MrChadwickallegingthathehadnoauthorityformakingpublictheconcernsofapropertyinmanagingwhichhewasonlyapaidservant。
　　’Andwhoiscompetenttogiveyouthatauthority，MrChadwick？’
　　askedBold。
　　’Onlythosewhoemployme，MrBold，’saidthesteward。
　　’Andwhoarethose，MrChadwick？’demandedBold。
　　MrChadwickbeggedtosaythatiftheseinquiriesweremademerelyoutofcuriosity，hemustdeclineansweringthem: