butEnglishmendidnotseeenoughintheargumenttoinducethemtowithdrawtheirconfidencefromthepresentarrangementsofthegovernment，andDrAnticant’smonthlypamphletonthedecayoftheworlddidnotreceivesomuchattentionashisearlierworks。Hedidnotconfinehimselftopoliticsinthesepublications，butroamedatlargeoverallmattersofpublicinterest，andfoundeverythingbad。Accordingtohimnobodywastrue，andnotonlynobody，butnothing；
　　amancouldnottakeoffhishattoaladywithouttellingalie——theladywouldlieagaininsmiling。Therufflesofthegentleman’sshirtwouldbefraughtwithdeceit，andthelady’sflouncesfulloffalsehood。Waseveranythingmoreseverethanthatattackofhisonchipbonnets，ortheanathemaswithwhichheendeavouredtodustthepowderoutofthebishops’wigs？
　　ThepamphletwhichTomTowersnowpushedacrossthetablewasentitledModernCharity，andwaswrittenwiththeviewofprovinghowmuchinthewayofcharitywasdonebyourpredecessors——howlittlebythepresentage；anditendedbyacomparisonbetweenancientandmoderntimes，verylittletothecreditofthelatter。
　　’Lookatthis，’saidTowers，gettingupandturningoverthepagesofthepamphlet，andpointingtoapassageneartheend。
　　’Yourfriendthewarden，whoissolittleselfish，won’tlikethat，Ifear。’Boldreadasfollows——
　　’Heavens，whatasight！Letuswitheyeswideopenseethegodlymanoffourcenturiessince，themanofthedarkages；
　　letusseehowhedoeshisgodlikework，and，again，howthegodlymanoftheselatterdaysdoeshis。
　　’Shallwesaythattheformerisonewalkingpainfullythroughtheworld，regarding，asaprudentman，hisworldlywork，prosperinginitasadiligentmanwillprosper，butalwayswithaneyetothatbettertreasuretowhichthievesdonotcreepin？Istherenotmuchnobilityinthatoldman，as，leaningonhisoakenstaff，hewalksdowntheHighStreetofhisnativetown，andreceivesfromallcourteoussalutationandacknowledgmentofhisworth？Anobleoldman，myaugustinhabitantsofBelgraveSquareandsuchlikevicinity——averynobleoldman，thoughemployednobetterthaninthewholesalecardingofwool。
　　’Thiscardingofwool，however，didinthosedaysbringwithitmuchprofit，sothatourancientfriend，whendying，wasdeclared，inwhateverslangthenprevailed，tocutupexceedingwell。Forsonsanddaughterstherewasamplesustenancewithassistanceofdueindustry；forfriendsandrelativessomereliefforgriefatthisgreatloss；forageddependentscomfortindecliningyears。Thiswasmuchforoneoldmantogetdoneinthatdarkfifteenthcentury。Butthiswasnotall:cominggenerationsofpoorwool-cardersshouldblessthenameofthisrichone；andahospitalshouldbefoundedandendowedwithhiswealthforthefeedingofsuchofthetradeascouldnot，bydiligentcarding，anylongerdulyfeedthemselves。
　　’’Twasthusthatanoldmaninthefifteenthcenturydidhisgodlikeworktothebestofhispower，andnotignobly，asappearstome。
　　’Wewillnowtakeourgodlymanoflatterdays。Heshallnolongerbeawool-carder，forsucharenotnowmenofmark。
　　Wewillsupposehimtobeoneofthebestofthegood，onewhohaslackednoopportunities。Ouroldfriendwas，afterall，butilliterate；ourmodernfriendshallbeamaneducatedinallseemlyknowledge；heshall，inshort，bethatblessedbeing——
　　aclergymanoftheChurchofEngland！
　　’Andnow，inwhatperfectestmannerdoesheinthislowerworldgethisgodlikeworkdoneandputoutofhand？
　　Heavens！inthestrangestofmanners。Oh，mybrother！inamannernotatalltobebelieved，butbythemostminutetestimonyofeyesight。Hedoesitbythemagnitudeofhisappetite——bythepowerofhisgorge；hisonlyoccupationistoswallowthebreadpreparedwithsomuchanxiouscarefortheseimpoverishedcardersofwool——that，andtosingindifferentlythroughhisnoseonceintheweeksomepsalmmoreorlesslong——theshorterthebetter，weshouldbeinclinedtosay。
　　’Oh，mycivilisedfriends！——greatBritonsthatneverwillbeslaves，menadvancedtoinfinitestateoffreedomandknowledgeofgoodandevil——tellme，willyou，whatbecomingmonumentyouwillerecttoanhighly-educatedclergymanoftheChurchofEngland？’
　　Boldcertainlythoughtthathisfriendwouldnotlikethat:
　　hecouldnotconceiveanythingthathewouldlikelessthanthis。Towhataworldoftoilandtroublehadhe，Bold，givenrisebyhisindiscreetattackuponthehospital！
　　’Yousee，’saidTowers，’thatthisaffairhasbeenmuchtalkedof，andthepublicarewithyou。Iamsorryyoushouldgivethematterup。HaveyouseenthefirstnumberofTheAlmshouse？’
　　No；BoldhadnotseenTheAlmshouse。HehadseenadvertisementsofMrPopularSentiment’snewnovelofthatname，buthadinnowayconnecteditwithBarchesterHospital，andhadneverthoughtamomentonthesubject。
　　’It’sadirectattackonthewholesystem，’saidTowers。
　　’It’llgoalongwaytoputdownRochester，andBarchester，andDulwich，andStCross，andallsuchhotbedsofpeculation。
　　It’sveryclearthatSentimenthasbeendowntoBarchester，andgotupthewholestorythere；indeed，Ithoughthemusthavehaditallfromyou，it’sverywelldone，asyou’llsee:hisfirstnumbersalwaysare。’
　　BolddeclaredthatMrSentimenthadgotnothingfromhim，andthathewasdeeplygrievedtofindthatthecasehadbecomesonotorious。
　　’Thefirehasgonetoofartobequenched，’saidTowers；
　　’thebuildingmustgonow；andasthetimbersareallrotten，why，Ishouldbeinclinedtosay，thesoonerthebetter。I
　　expectedtoseeyougetsomeeclatinthematter。’
　　ThiswasallwormwoodtoBold。Hehaddoneenoughtomakehisfriendthewardenmiserableforlife，andhadthenbackedoutjustwhenthesuccessofhisprojectwassufficienttomakethequestiononeofrealinterest。Howweaklyhehadmanagedhisbusiness！hehadalreadydonetheharm，andthenstayedhishandwhenthegoodwhichhehadinviewwastobecommenced。Howdelightfulwouldithavebeentohaveemployedallhisenergyinsuchacause——tohavebeenbackedbyTheJupiter，andwrittenuptobytwoofthemostpopularauthorsoftheday！Theideaopenedaviewintotheveryworldinwhichhewishedtolive。Towhatmightitnothavegivenrise？whatdelightfulintimacies——whatpublicpraise——
　　towhatAthenianbanquetsandrichflavourofAtticsalt？
　　This，however，wasnowpasthope。Hehadpledgedhimselftoabandonthecause；andcouldhehaveforgottenthepledgehehadgonetoofartoretreat。Hewasnow，thismoment，sittinginTomTowers’roomwiththeobjectofdeprecatinganyfurtherarticlesinTheJupiter，and，greatlyashedislikedthejob，hispetitiontothateffectmustbemade。
　　’Icouldn’tcontinueit，’saidhe，’becauseIfoundIwasinthewrong。’
　　TomTowersshruggedhisshoulders。Howcouldasuccessfulmanbeinthewrong！’Inthatcase，’saidhe，’ofcourseyoumustabandonit。’
　　’AndIcalledthismorningtoaskyoualsotoabandonit，’
　　saidBold。
　　’Toaskme，’saidTomTowers，withthemostplacidofsmiles，andaconsummatelookofgentlesurprise，asthoughTomTowerswaswellawarethatheofallmenwasthelasttomeddleinsuchmatters。
　　’Yes，’saidBold，almosttremblingwithhesitation。’TheJupiter，youknow，hastakenthematterupverystrongly。
　　MrHardinghasfeltwhatithassaiddeeply；andIthoughtthatifIcouldexplaintoyouthathepersonallyhasnotbeentoblame，thesearticlesmightbediscontinued。’
　　HowcalmlyimpassivewasTomTowers’face，asthisinnocentlittlepropositionwasmade！HadBoldaddressedhimselftothedoorpostsinMountOlympus，theywouldhaveshownasmuchoutwardsignofassentordissent。Hisquiescencewasquiteadmirable；hisdiscretioncertainlymorethanhuman。
　　’Mydearfellow，’saidhe，whenBoldhadquitedonespeaking，’IreallycannotanswerforTheJupiter。’
　　’Butifyousawthatthesearticleswereunjust，IthinkthatYouWouldendeavourtoputastoptothem。Ofcoursenobodydoubtsthatyoucould，ifyouchose。’
　　’Nobodyandeverybodyarealwaysverykind，butunfortunatelyaregenerallyverywrong。’
　　’Come，come，Towers，’saidBold，pluckinguphiscourage，andrememberingthatforEleanor’ssakehewasboundtomakehisbestexertion；’Ihavenodoubtinmyownmindbutthatyouwrotethearticlesyourself，andverywellwrittentheywere:itwillbeagreatfavourifyouwillinfutureabstainfromanypersonalallusiontopoorHarding。’
　　’MydearBold，’saidTomTowers，’Ihaveasincereregardforyou。Ihaveknownyouformanyyears，andvalueyourfriendship；Ihopeyouwillletmeexplaintoyou，withoutoffence，thatnonewhoareconnectedwiththepublicpresscanwithproprietylistentointerference。’
　　’Interference！’saidBold，’Idon’twanttointerfere。’
　　’Ah，but，mydearfellow，youdo；whatelseisit？YouthinkthatIamabletokeepcertainremarksoutofanewspaper。
　　Yourinformationisprobablyincorrect，asmostpublicgossiponsuchsubjectsis；but，atanyrate，youthinkIhavesuchpower，andyouaskmetouseit:nowthatisinterference。’
　　’Well，ifyouchoosetocallitso。’