g to his child, and said that the man whom she
loved was honest, good, and kind-hearted, and right-thinking in the
main,--one who wanted only a good wife to put him quite upright,--"a
man, my love," he ended by saying, "to whom I firmly believe that I
can trust my treasure with safety."

"But what will Dr Grantly say?"

"Well, my dear, it can't be helped;--we shall be out at Crabtree
then."

And Eleanor ran upstairs to prepare her father's clothes for his
journey; and the warden returned to his garden to make his last adieux
to every tree, and shrub, and shady nook that he knew so well.

Chapter XIV

MOUNT OLYMPUS

Wretched in spirit, groaning under the feeling of insult,
self-condemning, and ill-satisfied in every way, Bold returned to
his London lodgings. Ill as he had fared in his interview with the
archdeacon, he was not the less under the necessity of carrying out
his pledge to Eleanor; and he went about his ungracious task with a
heavy heart.

The attorneys whom he had employed in London received his instructions
with surprise and evident misgiving; however, they could only obey,
and mutter something of their sorrow that such heavy costs should
only fall upon their own employer,--especially as nothing was wanting
but perseverance to throw them on the opposite party. Bold left the
office which he had latterly so much frequented, shaking the dust from
off his feet; and before he was down the stairs, an edict had already
gone forth for the preparation of the bill.

He next thought of the newspapers. The case had been taken up by more
than one; and he was well aware that the keynote had been sounded by
_The Jupiter_. He had been very intimate with Tom Towers, and had
often discussed with him the affairs of the hospital. Bold could
not say that the articles in that paper had been written at his own
instigation. He did not even know, as a fact, that they had been
written by his friend. Tom Towers had never said that such a view of
the case, or such a side in the dispute, would be taken by the paper
with which he was connected. Very discreet in such matters was Tom
Towers, and altogether indisposed to talk loosely of the concerns
of that mighty engine of which it was his high privilege to move
in secret some portion. Nevertheless Bold believed that to him
were owing those dreadful words which had caused such panic at
Barchester,--and he conceived himself bound to prevent their
repetition. Wi